The life of another
by Cutie-babe-2k7
Summary: A monster... a demon... a child. When the Kazekage of Suna discovers that the Shakaku is eating away at a young girl's life, he is taken by an obsession to find her and save her. NEW CHARECTER
1. The Child

Hey! Let me just say, I am working on my Sakura Christmas story but I wrote this a long time ago and i thought I should summit it. I don't really know where Sasuke came from coz I've been wanting to do a fic where he comes home but I've got this shit that all second years ago through so I'm too busy to do so. I will do it one day but that's not today. In this story, I have created my own charecter, Mishuku. My friends gave me the name so I don't even know if it's real but if someone else made it up, it's there name, not mine. Ok, so enjoy this stroy!

* * *

"As expected, the Akatsuki couldn't control the Shakaku's power so they've enclosed it in a young child. That child is out there, possibly terrorising villages, being controlled but the Akatsuki. We have to find them before it gets out of hand. I've chosen you three because I think you would cope best under this situation." Baki said flatly as though he were talking about the weather.

Temari and Kankuro nodded but their red haired sibling simply sat staring at the opposite wall. He nodded his head absently and turned back to a few papers he had started before Baki interrupted him.

He felt his heart twist with rage. No only had Akatsuki killed him, attacked his village but now they had ruined a young child's life.

"This is gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack…" Kankuro sighed. Temari nodded and turned to her younger sibling when Baki left the room. He had an odd, misty look in his jade green eyes.

"Gaara-?" She began before Kankuro caught her arm with a warning glance.

XxX

The feet of the six figures crunched against the sand as they walked across the desert in the sweltering heat.

While four of them had long black cloaks and straw hats; the fifth was dressed in simple black clothing and orange mask with a single hole cut into it.

The sixth was a girl; around ten or eleven, with midnight blue hair that flowed freely down her back to her waist and pupil less hazel brown eyes with heavy shadows under them. The rest of her face was hidden by a purple neck scarf.

She walked a little behind the tall Akatsuki members, staring absently at the glittering grains of sand below her feet.

She wore a deep purple vest under a strapless black top and had the same deep purple elbow pads. Stamped across the black top in purple was the Suna sign.

She wore black pants and black boots, which were just like the infamous pink haired medic of Konoha. Like most ninja, she had a shuriken holster strapped onto her slim thigh. On her left arm, a fish next glove ran down from her elbow pad and over her fingers on which she adorned three black rings.

Her right was much the same but the fish net ran up from her elbow and over her shoulder, stopping at the strap of her purple vest.

There were great waves of darkness ebbing from her, strong enough to spike fear into the men before her.

The amount of chakra coursing through her was so strong that even someone without the Byakugan could feel it like a freezing desert wind.

This girl was not human.

She was a monster…

Deidara looked over his shoulder at the dark haired girl and smirked. "What's up, _Mishuku_?" He said as though her name left a bad taste in his mouth.

She didn't grace him with an answer but stared stubbornly at the ground. Deidara felt sand circling his feet so he reached forward and grabbed the young girl's shirtfront.

"Knock it off, yeah." He snapped. Mishuku pushed him away and kept walking. Kisame laughed as Deidara took on his trademark pout across his feminine face.

"Being pushed around by a little girl, are we, Deidara?" He teased.

Itachi stopped ahead of them. The others stopped as well, staring at the three shinobi before them.

"So your alive then, Gaara?" Deidara sneered.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" Temari said, smirking.

"_You _couldn't kill Gaara of the Desert." Kankuro said, scowling at Deidara.

Mishuku sighed and folded her arms. Kisame bent down to her level and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Temari flinch.

"Keep calm. Don't try anything on these guys. Understood?"

"Get away from me, fish face." Mishuku spat in disgust. Sasori smirked but kept his eyes fixed on Gaara.

"We'll leave these maggots to you then, Itachi." Mishuku said, walking past Temari who was so fearful that she was frozen to the spot.

Kankuro took a step forwards but Kisame raised his huge sword, Samehada, threateningly.

Mishuku stared at Gaara for a moment before tearing her gaze away to stare ahead.

Three shuriken flew towards her back. Kisame flung out his sword but a shield of sand flew up and the deadly metal weapons disappeared into the glittering grains.

"Gaara-?" Temari began when suddenly the sand spat the shurikens out at her. She stepped back and they just missed her.

Mishuku began walking away when Kisame grabbed her spindly wrist.

"Let go of me, you piece of trash." She spat, pulling her wrist away. Kisame gritted his sharp little teeth.

Temari opened out her fan and swung it through the air. Mishuku folded her arms as a wall of sand shielded her from the deadly wind.

Kankuro set down the bandaged puppet on his back and Mishuku turned her bored gazed on him.

There was a crash, a splintering of wood as a bandaged blade cut through the puppet and towards Kankuro who ducked just in time.

Mishuku smirked and turned and walked away, alone, her long hair blowing in the wind. Gaara suddenly appeared in the gust of wind before her, arms folded.

"You're going to drag me back to Suna, I guess." Gaara shook his head slowly.

"It's your choice where you go."

"There's no where for me to go to."

"What about your parents? I'm sure they're worried about you."

"No one home to care about me."

"You know… I think you could do much better than the Akatsuki."

"Well… Maybe I could come back to Suna," Mishuku had a fake look of though on her face. "Hm… nah." She suddenly crossed her hands and Gaara leapt back as the sand shifted beneath his feet.

"We're more alike than you think. I've been alone too. We have the same eyes, filled with sadness and loneliness that I knew all too well."

"Don't patronize me."

"Oi! Mishuku! Little bitch, come back, yeah!" Deidara screamed after her as she began to walk away.

Sasori's long tail like spine hit Temari hard in the stomach and it shot out to wrap around Mishuku.

A cloak of glitter sand wrapped around her waist and the tail closed around it.

Temari drew back her fan and slammed it hard on the back of Sasori's head.

Kankuro leapt forward, wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted Mishuku the spine like tail's slackened grip.

XxX

"Where are the Akatsuki?" Baki asked. Gaara rolled his eyes from where he leaned against the wall, watching the girl.

She stared blankly ahead. Baki leaned down before her, their noses inches apart. Gaara stood up and folded his arms.

"I will ask again. Where are they?" Mishuku tore her gaze from the wall sluggishly to look at the exposed portion of Baki's face.

"Don't know, don't care." She said flatly.

"But they are your teammates, are they not?" Baki said. Gaara sighed. His former sensei was getting nowhere with the girl.

"Their word teammate and yours mean totally different things. They work together but if one of them is in trouble, it's his trouble and no one else's."

"Then why would Kisame try to stop the shuriken attack back there?" Kankuro asked.

Gaara shifted his weight and watched the girl as she turned with disgust on his puppet-wielding sibling.

"I am not part of their team. I am alone. I was a mere possession of the Akatsuki; I was not seen as a person. Just a deadly weapon." Gaara's gut clenched. She sounded like him… a long time ago.

"Do you have parents or anyone?"

"Kill when I was born. I've lived with the Akatsuki my whole life."

"Eleven years all alone?" Temari glanced at Gaara who stared back at her. "That's no way to live." Mishuku shrugged and folded her arms.

"I have to exist. I will not disappear." Gaara sighed again and turned to Temari.

"What is your problem?" Mishuku snapped at the redhead. He turned back to her, a slightly amused look on his face.

The girl turned back to Baki. "Am I allowed to leave or am I to be kept a prisoner?"

The three Sand siblings looked curiously at Baki who stared resolutely at the wall before speaking.

"You'll be kept a little longer." He said curtly before leaving. Temari and Kankuro turned to leave but the latter stopped, staring at his brother. "Gaara?"

"I'm going to talk to her. Don't worry," He smiled shortly at his brother before the door shut with a resounding "_clank_"

Gaara turned to the girl, staring into her young face. It was only now that he realised how racoon-like her face was.

She had a pointed rather cute nose, glassy brown eyes and dark flesh to border them. She looked so much like Gaara it was unreal.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" Mishuku snapped, folding her arms. Gaara felt the sand in his gourd shift restlessly and it was not his feelings it was reacting to.

"Why do you exist?" He asked suddenly. Mishuku turned her hazel gaze away and sighed.

"Without Akatsuki… do I have a purpose?" she said after a pause.

"What was your purpose before that?" Gaara asked tentatively, seating himself in Kankuro's abandoned chair.

Mishuku turned her dark gazed upon him. "To destroy everything in my path. Now I am… ashamed to say the least but I had to live… I couldn't just…"

"Fade away… yes I understand." Gaara said with a sigh.

"How do you know this pain?" Gaara turned to the young girl and sighed.

"You know the Shakaku inside you? It used to live inside of me, destroying my life."

"I was told... well more threatened that if the Spirit was removed from my body… I'd die. How are you still alive?"

"Elder Chiyo gave up her own life for me."

"Elder Chiyo?" Mishuku smirked. "I was told she hated people… like us. Then again, I've been deceived by the Akatsuki so I'm not sure what's true that I've been told."

"Lots of people have been deceived by them…" Gaara said solemnly.

"You're the Kazekage, right?" Mishuku said after a long pause.

"Hai."

"What's your name?"

"Gaara." The redhead stared into her sad eyes for a moment before standing up.

"I'll leave you to get some sleep-." He remembered his fifteen years of insomnia and almost grimaced at the mere memory.

"Do you want anything? A drink, some food?"

"No… thank you, Gaara… sama." The redhead smiled as Mishuku stood up and began pacing.

XxX

Gaara yawned hugely as he walked down to Mishuku's room. He had only just started sleeping after fifteen years of being to afraid to let go with the Shakaku just beyond his consciousness.

He remembered the first time he had awakened and yawned, he had been worried something was wrong with him.

Temari and Kankuro had merely laughed at their younger brother.

He opened the cell door and walked in to see Kankuro sitting and watching Mishuku staring at her breakfast disdainfully.

"When did you get here?" Gaara asked his older brother.

"Ten minutes ago. Baki's busy so he asked me to bring Mishuku her breakfast." Kankuro said, stretching.

Gaara nodded and turned back to the corridor but the puppet-wielding nin leapt to his feet and grabbed his brother's arm.

"Do not leave me alone with her!" He hissed at the red head, eyes wide with fear.

"What?" Gaara asked, looking from his fear-stricken brother and the harmless looking girl who sat alone in the prison like room.

Kankuro's face suddenly went blank as he realised the girl was the same as Gaara. He was _afraid_…

"No… it's nothing. Go on, I'll stay with her." He smiled sheepishly as his sibling walked down the corridor.

"Are you afraid of me?" Said a quiet voice. Kankuro turned his painted face to the little girl and sighed.

"Tell me the truth."

"Well…I do fear you. But not you, as in Mishuku. I fear the Shakaku. Hell, I feared my own brother for fifteen years because of it!"

"Gaara-sama is your… brother?"

"Yep… I thought I hated him until… I saw that he didn't hate everyone but they wouldn"t acknowledge him so he had to… to be the way he was just to get people to notice him. He didn't want to fade away and be forgotten." Kankuro sighed deeply. "I wished I could've been there for him before he got to where he was."

"How did he… get out of that place?" Mishuku asked and Kankuro stared at her, pity in his dark eyes.

"Uzumaki Naruto." Mishuku stared suddenly and looked up.

"The Kyuubi container?"

"You know him?"

"I was told… awful things about him. But… I don't know if they're true." Kankuro frowned.

"What did they say?"

"He used the power of the Demon to kill my parents." Kankuro frowned.

This girl was younger than Naruto and he had never used to full force of the Kyuubi against Suna after the demon was sealed within him.

The Akatsuki had filled this poor girl with bullshit.


	2. Don't be a stranger

OMG! Writers Block! Strapt of any idea for Part III! I've stared it but OMG I'm stuck for what to happen next! ARGH[P.S idea's welcome Anywho... part II

* * *

Mishuku lay asleep on the hard metal bed, hair splayed on the white pillows. She had finally been let out of that small dank prison like cell and was now living in a small cheap flat in Suna. 

Gaara had left shortly after lunch to some important meeting so Mishuku had began to meditate.

Mishuku had sat there, running through her over-analysed thoughts. She was not… happy here in Suna but… she could see that one day she might be… a normal girl, not the Shukaku contained which was how her life with Akatsuki was headed.

But did anyone need her here in Suna? At the moment, she had no purpose but one day she could. But, Mishuku's heart ached so as she thought of the idea of fading away and being forgotten.

With Akatsuki… though it had been for the wrong reasons, she had a purpose…

She had been sitting with her hands on her bony knees for about two hours until she fell into an uneasy, restless sleep. Though it could hardly have been could sleep, more of a catnap.

She had only been sleeping for ten minutes when her dark eyes sprang open and she sat up.

She stood up and stretched catlike before walking over to the door. She reached for the handle when she stopped, eyebrow arched. There was a note wedged in the crease.

_Don't be a stranger, come visit. Our home is your home. _

The writing was dark and forced, as though Gaara had written it with gritted teeth.

"Temari!" Mishuku called, trying to keep the rising taste of panic and bile down deep in her stomach. She would know. Temari always knew about these things. "TEMARI!"

* * *

Temari had become a great friend of Mishuku though the pale teen still found Gaara's sister overbearing and loud. But she was at least kind to her and acted like her best friend. 

Mishuku wanted to let go and be her friend but part of her worried over how frightened Temari probably was of her.

As anxious as she was, there was a tendril of fear snaking its way through her mind.

What if Gaara had only written that to be nice? What if he had only written it because he thought it was expected of him? Or that if he didn't she'd do something terrible?

What if he shut her door in her face and _laughed_. Or worse, _screamed_.

"You're being neurotic," Temari chided gently, putting away her tattered old clothes and tossed her something clean to change into. She moved to the door, and looked back at the pale teenager.

"Don't worry about it. My brother wouldn't ask you to our place just to be nice. Just relax, ok?"

Mishuku nodded and watched Temari leave before yanking the shirt over her head.

She turned to stare at her self in mirror, brow raised in exasperation. Temari had weird taste. Mishuku was wearing, not a shirt, but a long white dress that flared at the hips. She plucked at it with a deep sigh before racking her fingers through her long hair.

Ghastly skin, messy dark hair, pale eyes and dying flesh to border them.

She couldn't be bothered to change again so she turned and left the flat in the dress in a pair of sandals Temari had left out.

* * *

Mishuku walked nervously down the street; several times she had turned back but slowly and surely carried on toward the Kazekage's office. 

Suddenly, her senses prickled and she looked up to see a huge clay bird circling above her. It took her mind a moment to register what it was when she began to run.

She was thrown forward and one tiny bird slammed hard into the building beside her, sending chunks of rock toward her.

* * *

Gaara sat in his office, staring at the two large men before him. Both wanted to hire ninja from Suna to kill the other. 

No matter how many times Gaara explained that he would not have two teams of ninja from the same village attacking one another, both men continued to argue.

"You're _ninjas_! It's your job to fight!" Said the smaller of the two.

"Fine!" Gaara stood up, pulled to kunai from his holster and slammed them down into his desk, staring defiantly at both men.

"If you want to kill the other so badly, do it yourselves!"

"But… but…"

"We're not ninja!" Said the larger one, staring at the pointed blade.

"Yet you're willing for my ninja to shed blood of fellow Suna nin yet not a drop of your own? You disgust me."

"Fine!" The man grabbed the blade and held it like a pencil, his sausage like fingers wrapped around the thin handle.

"You don't hold it like that!" Said the smaller man, stuffing his podgy finger into the small ring.

Gaara rolled his eyes and was about to carry on with some paper work when he heard a distant explosion behind him.

He twisted his thin frame in his chair to stare out of the circular window behind him. His heart thudded as he saw a dark plume of smoke billowing into the periwinkle blue sky.

_Mishuku…_ "Usagi," he barked, knowing his former student and current ANBU assistant would hear him over the two sausage fingered men from where she stood beyond the door.

Matsuri really did turn out to be an invaluable asset to the Village. Her speed was almost unmatchable. She appeared in the room in a puff of light smoke, her rabbit mask pulled over her face.

"Kazekage-sama?" Matsuri said, frowning behind the mask at the worried look on her former sensei's face.

"Run to Mishuku's flat as fast as you can, check the girl is all right. If not, gather Kankuro and Temari and come to the entrance to the village. Understood?"

"Hai! Kazekage, where will you-?"

"Entrance to the village." Gaara said, pulling his Kazekage robes over his head to reveal his long red coat and vest.

"Excuse me, gentlemen." Gaara said, ushering the still arguing men from his office and tearing down the corridor.

He was quiet sure what that explosion had been. Akatsuki… there was no doubt they had come back to retrieve Mishuku.

* * *

Mishuku was standing perfectly calm, staring at the gaping hole in the wall before her. 

A huge clay bird flew down to hover before her, Deidara peering through the hole his creation had made.

"Are they keeping you prisoner here?"

"What do you want, Deidara?" He smirked and then turned to the pale girl before jumping down onto the sandy path before her.

"Come on, we're leaving."

"What if I don't want to?" Mishuku said, stepping away from him. Deidara moved toward her.

"Who needs you? I mean, stay here and you'll just fade into the darkness, consumed by yourself, yeah. Is that was you _really _want?" Mishuku opened and closed her mouth before raising a fist.

Deidara's fist crunched hard into the sand and he glared at Mishuku's only visible eye. The sand snaked its way up the blonde's arm.

"I'm not going back." She said calmly.

"Nobody needs you here, nobody even wants you here!" Deidara snapped, trying to shake his hand free.

"Gaara-sama-."

"He's just being polite. He'll kiss the wound, ruffle the hair and then you'll be thrown back outside again like before!" Mishuku clenched her fists.

"Shut up… what would you know about it?" She ran forward again, fist raised. Deidara rolled his eyes and opened his clenched fist. A small fluttering bird zoomed towards Mishuku.

She back flipped away but the birds were faster than her and her sand. There was a loud resounding crash and Mishuku fell to the ground.

Deidara scooped her up and threw her unceremoniously onto his bird.

Kankuro and Temari darted down the path and skidded to a halt as they reached Mishuku.

"Mishuku!" Kankuro ran forward but he and his sister were almost blown off their feet as the huge bird took off into the night.

Matsuri ran down the path toward them, grabbed Temari's wrist and pulled.

"Gaara-sama, village gates, come now!" She panted and the three of them took off down the path.

* * *

Gaara slammed his palm onto the ground and a huge column of sand shot up towards the clay bird above him. The bird soared the side, away from that column straight into another. 

Deidara's "art" flew away from it just as a vine of sand shot out and caught the tail of the bird. Deidara turned as the bird struggled to free itself.

_Desert Coffin! _Mishuku fell through the air as the clay bird was squashed into a pulp. Deidara leapt down and landed on the top of the trench that was the entrance that led into the hidden village.

Gaara prepared himself to catch Mishuku when a black clad figure leapt up and caught the falling girl.

Gaara swore under his breath as he watched the figure that wore an orange mask land clumsily, Mishuku thrust carelessly over his shoulder.

"Tobi," Said Deidara who was slowly to a stop over the childlike man. But, as Tobi jumped up to land on the bird, he was blown back by a vicious wind.

Temari landed beside Gaara, her fan open, glaring at the man who spiralled through the air.

Kankuro landed beside his two siblings before wrenching his arm back, his chakra strings slicing through the air with a tinny whistle.

There was a puff of smoke and Matsuri appeared floating in the air.

She twisted her body and kicked Tobi hard in the chest so he let go of Mishuku as he fell back. Kankuro's puppet appeared underneath the falling body, the stomach of Kurorai opening up, and Mishuku landed in it with a heavy thud.

Kankuro let out a triumphant growl when suddenly a spine like tail shot forward and tore through Kurorai.

With a tut of annoyance, Kankuro turned to Matsuri and beckoned her forward. "We'll take Sasori, you two get Mishuku!" He called to his siblings.

"Temari, you get Deidara." Gaara said, clapping his hands. Mishuku landed in a blanket of sand just before she hit the ground.

Deidara was about to move toward the fallen girl when Temari attacked. He barely dodged her deadly wind as his bird swerved high into the air.

Mishuku stood up shakily, her head down, panting. Gaara was about to run forward when he saw why she was shaking. The sand had slid up left side of her face.

The Shakuku was already taking over her body. She clutched her head and her hazel eyes snapped shut as she screamed with pain.

Her voice broke and her scream began the Shukaku's hysterical shriek. She turned on Gaara, saliva dripping down her chin. He leapt into the air just as an arm sliced through the air toward him.

Matsuri ran forward and whirled through the air. Her foot glided toward Hiruko's face but the puppet master leapt back and the girl landed before leaping back to stand beside Kankuro.

They took up their fighting stances when they heard Mishuku scream. Temari turned her head to Gaara when a small bird fluttered before her face. She fell backwards, rolling away from it, her fan drawn.

The small bird exploded and Temari crossed her arms over her face. Opening her dark eyes, she gazed at the wall of sand before her.

Gaara rested his hand on her shoulder before jumping away and sprinting toward Mishuku. Dodging her tail, he grabbed her around the waist and threw her down onto the sand.

Her head smacked hard off the glittering sand and she screamed in protest. Gaara was thrown off and rolled across the sand before slipping off the edge and falling down toward the ground.

Deidara soared down, scooped up the girl and threw her roughly onto the clay bird.

XxX

"Damn it!" Gaara spat, grinding his teeth as they leapt through the trees. He leapt from the branch of one to the trunk, speeding up, causing the bark to shatter.

"We'll find her, Gaara!" Temari said reassuringly.

"We won't give up!" Kankuro said, shaking his fist but wincing in pain and clutching at his shoulder.

"You didn't let yourself heal properly? Baka!" Temari lifted her fist to punch her brother.

"If you punch me, won't that only hurt me more?"

After a second of thought, Temari dropped her fist. "I hate you." She muttered, rolling her dark eyes.

"Yea, well I hate you too!"

"I hate the both of you." Gaara snapped from ahead. His brother and sister stared at his back anxiously but he turned and smirked at them.

"There!" Temari suddenly yelled, pulling her fan free and grinding to a halt. Deidara was staring up at her, his cocky smile in place as always.

"Go on ahead, Gaara! Don't argue!" She added sternly as Gaara opened his mouth. The redhead shook his head before carrying on through the trees.

"Take care, Temari!"

"I will!" She called, opening her fan with a swift motion of her wrist.

"Bring it on, bitch!" Deidara said, smiling up at her.

* * *

"Be prepared for any others," Gaara said to his older brother. 

"Gaara, if there are, I'll take 'em! We're here for Mishuku, got it?"

"Demo, Kankuro-,"

"Don't argue." The puppet master snapped. "There's one, see ya Gaara!" Kankuro called lightly, leaping down into a clearing before a shark-like man.

"Be careful, Kankuro!"

"You too, little brother." Gaara scowled at the nickname as his brother disappeared from view.

Gaara stared at the dark forest behind him for a moment before picking up his pace. His foot crashed down on a branch, the bark shattering under the force of his chakra.

In the distance, he heard a scream.

Resisting the urge to turn back and help his siblings, Gaara pushed on through the trees until he reached a cave that the Akatsuki had been seen going into.

"Mishuku!" Gaara called to the silhouette of the thin girl.

She turned to the redhead, who bit his lip as one large hazel eye fixed on him, a beady yellow one swirling around the black socket.

"Gaara?" she began but then clutched her head as a huge arm swept across the cave floor. Gaara leapt into the air away from the Shakaku's arm.

"GAARA!" As the redhead turned to the voice, pain tore through his shoulder. He rolled backwards and clutched the deep wound.

"Naruto?" Gaara panted as a pink haired medic ran towards him. He saw Lee, Neji, TenTen, Kakashi, Gai, Sasuke and Naruto standing in the cave entrance.

As Sakura bent down to heal the deep gash in his arm, Gaara pushed her away and stood up.

"I'm fine." He snapped but Sakura clapped a hand over the wound and pushed him down painfully.

"I am-."

"No your not." Sakura overruled him and began to heal the wound.

Gaara stared at the pink haired Kunoichi for a moment before turning to Naruto. The blonde ran forward and his foot swung around and caught Mishuku's pale cheek hard.

She staggered backwards and then fixed her glared on Naruto. A clawed hand swung towards him and caught his waist hard, hurling him into the wall.

Kakashi leapt up and caught the blonde as he fell, skidding backwards. Naruto lay still, his whiskered face calm and pale.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed. She turned back to Gaara's half healed wound and back to her injured teammate.

"Go." Gaara ordered, standing up.

"Demo-."

"Naruto needs you. Go!" He snapped and Sakura ran towards the blonde.

The younger Uchiha was staring lividly at his brother, hands balled into fists. He grabbed his sword from the sheath on his back before sprinting towards Itachi who readied himself for the attack.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi yelled. He almost threw Naruto at Sakura as he sprinted after the dark haired teen. Sakura clutched Naruto to her chest as she watched the two brothers fight furiously back and forth.

For such a violent fight, it was incredibly graceful as though it had been practised and rehearsed many times. Both men were equally skilled and it looked as though the fight would last some time.

Gaara tore his gaze from the Uchiha's and turned and watched as the Shakaku consumed the rest of Mishuku's body. It let out a high-pitched roar before swelling hugely and breaking through the roof of the cave.

Itachi growled in annoyance and leapt away from Sasuke and up the wall toward Mishuku. A huge hand soared towards him but he dodged it easily.

His fist cut through the air towards Mishuku, who had emerged from the sand, which held her firmly in the sand by her waist and legs.

She leaned backwards, her hands clapping onto the sand as Itachi's fist whistled past her nose. He grabbed her shirt, pulled her forward and punched her hard.

"Snap out of it!" The girl let out a scream before a huge arm threw the Uchiha backwards into the cave wall. Sasuke leapt towards his brother but Deidara appeared from nowhere and kicked at him.

Sasuke back flipped away from him, skidding backwards into Kakashi, who clapped a hand down on his shoulder.

Mishuku glared down at them all before clapping her hands into a seal Gaara recognized.

"Naruto! She's going to unleash the full power of the Shakaku!" He called, leaping up onto the cave wall.

He raced up with as much chakra and fuel he could find before jumping down onto the shoulder of the Sand Spirit.

He saw Mishuku fall limp against the sand so he doubled his pace as the Racoon let out a high-pitched cackle.

The shoulders of the huge beast shook as it laughed, causing Gaara to slide downward. He scrambled for a hold in the smooth sand, finally slowing down and using his charka to stop himself.

Panting, the redhead looked up at the neck of the Sand Spirit. Mishuku shook violently as the beast stepped forward onto the rough cave floor.

Suddenly Lee and Naruto landed next to Gaara, glaring at the unconscious Mishuku.

"She's a little girl?" Naruto asked, staring at the long locks of midnight blue hair.

"Hai." Gaara tried to stand but his arm gave a sickeningly wet noise as the bloodied sash rubbed against it, causing him to fall back to his knees with a groan.

"Take a break, Gaara-kun." Lee said, patting the redhead's torn sash gently.

He and Naruto raced up the arm of the huge beast and, as they reached the small girl, Lee's foot swung through the air and collided hard with her cheek.

Blood spattered over the shoulder of the Shakaku and Lee smiled triumphantly. But the smile slid from his face as he saw that Mishuku was still fast asleep.

"Wake up, god damn it!" Naruto yelled as they heard a scream from below, punching the girl hard in the cheek.

"Dude, she sleeps like a log!" The irritated blonde snapped.

"She hasn't slept in what, eleven years? What do you think would happen to her?"

Suddenly a huge hand swept them away from Mishuku with a hysterical shriek, "Knock it off!"

The two leaf Nin landed in the Shakaku's palm and its small yellow eyes fixed on them. "Uzumaki Naruto, eh?"

Thin sharp shadow's pooled over both men's faces and they looked up to see the claws closing down on them.

Wounded, Lee and Naruto could only stare in horror, as the hand was about to crush them to death. The claws suddenly froze as a sword whistled through the air and blood spattered the sand.


	3. Flowers

I wrote this just after I came out of hospital. It was pathetic! I had a drip and my mom called. So i was walking down the corridor, pushing this metal pole, bent almost double. A one year old over took me, I was that slow!

XxX

Sasuke raced toward Itachi, his sword drawn. As the blade cut through the air, his older brother leapt out of the way and the tip of the sword drove hard into flesh. The Uchiha's dark eyes widened as Mishuku screamed in pain.

The cave fell silent as the sand cracked and began to fall. Sasuke let go of the sword, which was still in Mishuku's pale flesh before leaping away, shaking. Gaara ran forward, wrapped his arms around the small frame before pushing off the sand and off the cave wall.

Gaara felt the dark waves of unconsciousness tugging at his mind but he remained focus stubbornly to lower the shaking girl in his arms to the ground before falling down next to her. His teal eyes closed as he clutched at Mishuku.

Strong hands tried to make the redhead release the girl but he hugged her to his chest as dark folds of unconsciousness finally took over him.

XxX

Noise. Incoherent, meaningless noise reached Gaara's ears. His eyes fluttered open and he blinked several times at the offensively white ceiling above him.

He could smell flowers around him but they did little to stifle the sterile smell of the hospital room. The noises were becoming clearer and Gaara heard a few nurses talking at the end of his bed as well as sedated moans from the rest of the ward.

He sat up slowly and rubbed his aching head, looking around the dazzling ward. Lee was chatting animatedly to TenTen and Neji from his hospital bed with his ever-enthusiastic sensei patting his shoulder.

Smirking, Gaara looked around to see Naruto lying in a bed, wrapped in bloodied bandages, punches of flowers and cards surrounding him.

The redhead looked at his own bedside cabinet and raised a hairless brow. There were quite a few cards and flowers from Temari and Kankuro and even a few from Konoha Ninja.

Through the vase of flowers, he saw a distorted image of Mishuku, sitting upright in the cold and hard hospital bed next to Gaara's, staring at the unconscious Naruto with glassy eyes. There was nothing around her bed but a jug of water.

A pink haired medic leaned over her and began redressing her wounds but Mishuku did not winced as her fingers prodded her ever-tender pale flesh.

"Did you sleep well?" Sakura asked brightly, smiling at the teen. Mishuku did not answer.

"Alright… well here's the breakfast menu, just tell me when you've chosen what you're having, ok?" No answer.

Naruto let out a loud groan, silencing everyone in the ward. Sakura bustled over to him and placed a hand on his bandaged forehead.

There was a long moment of silence before Mishuku let out a small gasp. Gaara turned to her with a concerned look. She was clutching her hair with gritted teeth.

Mishuku's arms trembled uncontrollably and she buried her face in her hands, bringing her knees up to her chest.

Sasuke and Kakashi entered the ward and nodded respectfully to the Kazekage before walking over to stand beside Naruto. The dark haired Uchiha stared at Mishuku who resolute refused to meet his gaze.

He suddenly grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her into the corner. "Is that girl... ok?"

"She'll be fine, Sasuke, don't worry." The medic said, patting his arm and walking over to Naruto. Sasuke stood alone for a long moment, staring at the girl. He felt eyes on him and turned to meet Gaara's impassive gaze.

XxX

Gaara and Mishuku stared out of the windows of the Kazekage's office, watching Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura in the training grounds. They would be staying for a few weeks for Naruto to recuperate and also the pink haired Kunoichi was to help out at the medical centre.

"How does he do it?" Mishuku asked with a heavy sigh.

"What?"

"Naruto... I mean he's got that... thing inside him and yet he's so... happy. Why couldn't... I be like him?"

"He has a... strange power, Naruto. He makes friends very quickly and I think that's what saved him. They pulled him from that pit of loneliness as he did with me."

There was a long pause.

"So... what are your plans have you got now?" Gaara asked, turning away from the window. Mishuku did not answer for a long time.

"I don't know. Probably become a genin." The red head froze and looked up at her.

"You're still not a genin?"

"I had no village to become on to..."

"Alright. I don't think you need to go through the whole training programme. You can take the text this week. Ok?"

"Whatever. Hm... Gaara-kun. What do you reckon my chances of getting into ANBU are?"

"ANBU? Well... I'm sorry Mishuku but they won't let someone who's been in Akatsuki in."

"Right..."

"You know... Seeing as Sakura's in town, you could ask her to take you on as her apprentice. You know, become a medic."

"A medic? I don't think patients would want _me _of all people treating them..."

"Maybe your right but teams could really use a medic. Give it a go."

Mishuku began to walk over to the door. Gaara sighed heavily and turned to his window.

XxX

"What are you doing up so early?" Gaara asked as he fell into step beside Mishuku. She hugged some flowers she was carrying tighter to her as she and the redhead walked through Suna in the chilling morning breeze.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Gaara asked, "Not running away are you?"

"I'm going to the grave yard."

"Really? And why is that?" Gaara said flippantly. Mishuku stopped in her tracks and turned to face up.

"I've never been to see my... parent's graves..." Gaara's heart leapt slightly. Shortly after Mishuku arrived in Suna, the Kazekage had

"Hm... do you know how they died?"

"Am I being interrogated here?"

"I'm just worried about you. We all are." Mishuku carried on walking.

"Why? I'm fine, really!" Gaara walked her pale profile for a while before looking at his watch.

"Look, I got to beat it... meet me for lunch?"

"Whatever. I'll be here..." Mishuku said as she reached the cemetery. The redhead watched her for a while be for turning away.

He was deeply concerned about the thin girl. For one, she was not eating, which was why he was insisting she had lunch with him. And for another, he knew how it felt after having the Shakaku take over your body. It was like having a bad flu, shaking, trembling, and even worse sleeping patterns.

XxX

Mishuku stared in disbelief at the grave stone. The flowers in her arms fell limp by her side as she stared at the grave. It couldn't be true! It wasn't true!

Hiroki and Chiyoko Nakamaru.

It said that her parents had been killed by... the Shakaku, a day before it was enclosed within Mishuku. The girl's limbs began to shake as she stared at the stone.

The thoughts swirling in her head suddenly made her vision fuzzy. Wiping at her eyes, Mishuku felt something wet. Glancing at her fingers, she noticed they were covered in a clear liquid. The sensation of something moving down her cheeks made her hands move again. Was she _crying_? Pathetic as it was, she was. It had been so long since she'd cried that it was unfamiliar to her.

More stray tears leaked from her dark eyes as she gazed at the grave. She dropped the flowers into the sand and took a faltering step backwards.

Sakura, who was standing in front of a grave, looked over at the girl. "Mishuku? Are you alright?"

Mishuku wiped the tears away and turned to Sakura. She smiled falsely. "I'm fine, Sakura-

san. Why are you here?"

"I'm here to see Chiyo-baa-sama." Mishuku looked away.

"You're a medic, right?" she said after a long pause

"Yea."

"Well can you... I want you to take me on as your apprentice!"

XxX


	4. Long time, No see

The Kazekage stood before Matsuri, who bounced on the balls of her feet, smiling broadly at her former-sensei. It was one of those rare occasions when Gaara saw her without her ANBU mask.

She lifted her fits, drawing as much chakra to them as she could. Gaara did not copy her fighting stance. He stood there, his long cloak flapping in the wind, eyes bored and unmoving. He simply lifted his wrist into a graceful swanlike arc before flicking it upwards.

Matsuri pushed herself into the air and formed seals. Two brown haired girl landed, before lifting their fists in identical poses.

He knew it was only a clone but he needed to burn off some steam that had been mounting on him for a few weeks now. He clenched his fist and saw Matsuri's clone twist in pain as the sand engulfed her before disappearing in a puff of white smoke.

Gaara's fingers twitched. Then they spasms out of control, his whole body writhing. Suddenly, he froze, like a block of ice, unable to move a finger. face first onto the ground before him.

The last thing heard was a petrified scream before pure blackness claimed him.

XxX

"Kazekage-sama?"

"Gaara." Gaara awoke with a jolt but he kept his eyes closed. Some of the faces started talking at him and he tried to follow but he had a headache. It _hurt_.

He did not want to face the council, his brother or sister, or Baki. He just wanted to sink into this warm mattress, escape the world, escape the noise.

"You lazy bugger, we know your awake." Temari snapped, slapping the top of his head. Gaara sat bolt upright and glared at her. As he tried to sit up, some started to protest but he silenced them with a look. He was still not used to feeling pain and it annoyed him utterly.

"Did you hear us Kazekage-sama?" Someone from the medical team asked.

"Hm." In truth, he just started ignoring what they said since it entailed a medical team he wasn't sure he understood at the moment. Waving out the doctors and nurses, Gaara let out a small breath and closed his eyes for a moment. With everyone gone he felt a little better. Although he was feeling better, he looked up a few minutes later to see his sister and brother walking into the room. He felt his mood immediately go sour. Crossing his arms over his chest, the Kazekage sent an emotionless glare at the both of them as they walked to his bedside.

"Kazekage-sama."

"Gaara." He nodded at them and just waited for them to state their business. As of late, he'd been rather annoyed at both of his siblings and even though he never mentioned it in any way, they seemed to know. Even if they did, they still didn't leave him alone when he wanted it.

"The Hokage wishes to see you in Konoha." Temari looked at her younger brother and sighed. "Oh for crying- Gaara, stop looking at me like that!" The red head raised one hairless eyebrow. He wasn't looking at her like anything. It should be interesting to see what she meant. The blonde made a frustrated noise and threw her hands up in defeat. Turning on her heel, she marched out of the room with a slam of the door left in her wake.  


Gaara turned his gaze to his brother who looked like he was about ready to do the same thing but unlike Temari, Kankuro had slightly better control over his temper in the last few months. Kankuro mimicked his younger brother's pose and crossed his arms over his chest. "That wasn't nice, Gaara."

"Hm." The red head turned his gaze to the window and looked out over his village.

"As she said, you are being summoned to Konoha. It seems that some of the council are coming along. Don't ask me why because I don't know." Following the younger man's gaze, Kankuro looked out over the village.

"Hm." Thinking over what his brother said, Gaara closed his eyes and inhaled a breath. The air was crisp, hot and sandy. Without a word, the redhead moved and started out of the bed, looking around the room to locate his gourd. Once spotted, the red head moved and attached it to his back then looked at his brother. "When do we leave?"

XxX

It had been almost two years since Mishuku had left on her apprenticeship to Konoha and Gaara felt something akin to fear twisted in his stomach as he thought of their... reunion. Would she even remember him?

How much would she have changed? Would she have sunken deeper into that bottomless pit of loneliness or could Konoha have done what it had for Gaara? The thought of Naruto and Mishuku immediately lightened the Kazekage's heart.

XxX

Four days later, with a party larger than he wanted, the Kazekage arrived at Konoha's gates. He was welcomed by the Hokage herself along with three very familiar ninja. Two were smiling and one had his nose deep in an orange book. Directing his gaze over to the blonde woman herself, he bowed.

"Hokage-sama." She followed him and bowed, a crystal hanging over her ample chest.

"Kazekage-sama." With the exchange of pleasantries and greetings, Gaara got straight to the point.

"Why have you summoned me to Konoha, Hokage-sama?" She looked rather far away for a moment but the look slipped away and she sighed.

"This way please Kazekage-sama." She turned on her heel and headed away. Without another word, Gaara followed the blonde and his party behind him. Looking around the city brought back memories, bad and good. He remembered the fight during the chounin exams so long ago and then he remembered coming to save some shinobi. The thought of who he got stuck saving made him inwardly grimace. It was a rugged battle, almost meaningless.

Lost in his thoughts Gaara ignored everyone for the rest of the walk. The red head's gaze moved over the bustling town and they stopped to look at the party of shinobi walking. Some nodded to the Hokage, some walked to her and patted her on the back and others didn't look at her at all but looked over the large group following behind him. Although the emotion was pushed to a mere glimmer, when their gazes locked with Naruto there was a look of pure hatred within the false smiles. Something deep inside of him roared out but again, he said nothing. Gaara was agitated by the time the group walked inside of the Hokage's office.

"Please come this way Gaara-sama." Tsunade pointed to a door and he looked behind him for a 

moment. No one looked pleased but they hadn't told him what was going on. Turning his back to the group, Gaara headed through the door with Tsunade at his heels.

XxX

"I won't ask you to sit up again." There was a slap at his back and he let out a breath. He was sitting on a cold bed, half naked and was having chakra forced into parts of his back. It wasn't comfortable nor did he like it but when he'd asked for answers, she gave nothing. Not even the Hokage would tell him what was going on. Maybe he should have just not come? Given her some excuse as to why he couldn't come? No. That was the cowards way out. A deep frown forming on his face, Gaara sat up straighter, arms crossed over his chest as he let the woman behind him examine whatever she was examining.

XxX

Twenty minutes later, he was putting on his shirts, sash and gourd. The Hokage had left only moments before and when he heard an outcry from the office, he ran out to see what was going on. Temari was clutching Kankuro's body and sobs were wrecking her body. Kankuro was trying to soothe her but it wasn't working. The councilmen from the Sand were talking amongst themselves and looking his way.

But Gaara was not looking at them. His eyes were drawn to two women standing opposite one another, each glare as deadly as the others. She had grown. She had a piercing her lower lip, a Suna headband around her neck and her clothes were almost identical to Sakura's only the younger woman's were more dark purples and blacks then reds and pinks.

She was wearing a simple black vest with purple lines caressing her soft curves. She had the same elbow pads and fishnet gloves. She was wearing her black shorts with a purple medical skirt and knee high black boots with purple buckles.

Her long hair was tied into a high ponytail and her dark eyes were coated in the ever tender flesh that her sleepless nights caused.

Mishuku and Tsunade glared at one another until Gaara spoke, sending an odd shiver down the dark haired woman's spine. She turned to the redhead, her dark hair swishing, sore bloodshot eyes narrowed.

"What is going on?" Gaara looked from the councilmen to his sister and then to the Hokage though his eyes always flickered back to Mishuku. The Hokage couldn't look him in the eye. He felt agitation turning into an all too familiar emotion. Anger was bleeding into his pores and he looked around the room once again. No one looked at him now but Mishuku. The attention was focused on the council from Suna. Temari had stopped crying and composed herself, standing up straight and pulling out of her younger brother's arms.

"Subaku no Gaara," he turned to face the council. "By decree of the council in this room, we are removing you from position of Kazekage. Your brother, Kankuro will take the position in your wake. As requested by the Hokage of Konoha, you are to remain here, in Konoha until further notice. You are, under no circumstances, to leave this village to return home to Suna."

Gaara was stunned. His eyes were wide and the anger leaked out of his system. He was too shocked to be angry now. His eyes made the circuit again and stopped at his siblings. Temari and Kankuro looked away. "You knew?" They nodded but said nothing. An unfamiliar emotion welled up inside of him and he suddenly felt like weeping. Looking back to the council, his hand unconsciously moving to his gourd he said, "Under what reasons am I removed from my position?"

"You are no longer _fit_ to hold the highest position of our village." What did that mean? Because he didn't have the demon raccoon in his body he was no longer fit to be Kazekage? Was there 

something else wrong with him? The thoughts swirling in his head suddenly made his vision fuzzy. He turned to Mishuku and her face mirrored his feelings inside. Pure rage.

"Gaara, you will be left in the care of Uzumaki Naruto." He looked to the blonde as she spoke. "Unfortunately, we cannot leave you alone here in the village so he will be, essentially, your care taker and body guard." The blonde Hokage stood and walked towards him. Her hands were at her sides, balled into fists and she looked into his eyes. Sorrow filled her gaze and she said something that was so low, he almost didn't catch it. "I'm sorry." Then his world went black.

XxX

"Is he awake yet?"

"What happened to him?"

"Wow, he's cuter than I remember."

"I wonder- OH SHIT!"

His head was pounding and the voices around him were giving him a headache. Cracking one eye open, Gaara looked around him to see pure blackness. He was surrounded by his sand. A faint smile appeared on his face but it was gone as quickly as it had come.

"Uh, Gaara-san? Can you put that away please?" It was a soft voice, feminine, familiar. With the wave of a hand, the sand went back into the gourd by his side. He sat up, realizing he was on a bed and looked around. The light was too bright and it smelled horrid in the place where he was. It was also a mess. Looking up, green eyes found several bodies, all turned to him. One was Sakura, the one who spoke. One was a blonde he vaguely remembered as Ino and then the byakugan user Neji. In the other corner was Naruto. He looked to be eating something.

The blonde suddenly stood up and walked into the kitchen. Several moments later, he was followed back by Mishuku. She did not meet Gaara's eyes but sat on the windowsill, gazing out of the grimy glass at the city far below.

"How are you feeling Gaara-san?" Sakura walked over tentatively, probably worried about the sand that was stirring in his gourd. He looked at Mishuku, who looked away quickly, and it stopped hissing. The pink haired kunoichi sat on the bed next to him. "May I?" He nodded slowly. She took off her glove and a green light emanated from her fingers as she moved her hand around his head and down to his chest. "Nothing's broken and you're not bleeding from your brain." She slipped her glove back on and stepped away. Speaking of his head, Gaara reached up and rubbed the side of it. He had a raging headache.

"You know Naruto; you should really clean this place up. And it smells something awful!" Ino was complaining at the other blonde who ignored her for whatever he was eating. His hands moved in fast, jerky motions.

"Naruto, stop eating long enough to talk." Sakura looked at her teammate and he stopped moving the chopsticks and looked at her. Something was on his face...anger. Why was he angry? Gaara swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked at the floor.

"What do you want Sakura? You checked him over and there's nothing wrong so you can _leave_ just like the rest of you." There was a bite in his voice and he continued stuffing his face.

"Fine Naruto. If you need anything you know where to find me. You too, Mishuku." The pink haired kunochi turned on her heel, waving to Gaara and left the room. "I guess I better go as well or my 

training is going to take a turn for the worst." Shaking her head, Ino smiled and waved at everyone. "See you all later."

Neji was next to leave with nothing but a nod in both Naruto's, Mishuku's and Gaara's direction. When everyone was gone, Naruto stood and opened the door. Mishuku watched him with large eyes.

"Welcome to my house." He came back a few minutes later, something in his hand. It was a ramen cup. "Here. You have to eat something, or that's what _Baa-chan_ said." He said her nick name with disdain but plopped down on the bed next to the red head.

"Mishuku, hungry?" Naruto asked brightly but she still shook her head. "Oh come on, I've asked you before and you keep saying no. What's wrong with having ramen with me?!" He asked, looking at Gaara and then Mishuku.

"There's nothing wrong with ramen, it's you." Naruto pulled a mock sad face before leaping up and grabbed Mishuku around the waist. He forced her down onto the ground before loading the chopsticks with the steaming noodles and lowering them to her face.

"Say ah!"

"No! Naruto! NO!" Mishuku screamed and they both burst into laughter. Gaara looked away, a strange feeling in his chest. A beast growled as it laid yellow eyes upon Naruto.

Suddenly, the smile slipped off Mishuku's face. She brushed Naruto off her and picked herself off the floor, walking into the kitchen. Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and looked around his house. When he caught Gaara's glare, he flinched.

Brushing it off, he remained on the floor, arms behind her head in his signature pose.

"I know you probably want answers and I won't lie to you but you aren't going to like them. She said something about your chakra pathways and how they were de-ter-ior-ating, deteriorating," he paused and looked to Gaara.

"It means they are getting smaller and smaller." Said the redhead shortly, the beast growling softly in his chest.

"Baa-chan said that because there was no demon inside of you that this...condition could freely take over. She said that you would have had it earlier if not for the demon inside of your body. Something like _natural disease_, or that's what she said. She also said that because your pathways are getting smaller, it's putting strain on your organs and muscles and it will eventually..." he stopped talking and looked at the red head. "She said it will kill you."

Gaara looked from Naruto's blue eyes down to the ramen cup and without thinking about it, started eating. For some reason, after the news, it felt good to eat. Maybe he was what Temari said, an emotional eater. But it made no sense seeing as he had very few to no emotions.

"We tried to get your job back you know, but I was yelled at and Baa-chan got mad enough that she threw me out of her office with a kick to the ass." He chuckled a little and rubbed the side of a butt cheek. "Still hurts actually."

XxX

_"WHAT?! What do you mean that he's being removed from the Kazekage position?!" Naruto was staring at the councilmen of the Sand village and Tsunade. His eyes were wide and he was mad. _

_"Just what I said Naruto." He looked at her and then back to the men in the room. _

_"What is the matter with you guys?! He died for you! DIED! If not for Chiyo-baa he would have stayed that way and you know it!" Mishuku yelled, slamming her hands down on the desk. Despite her and Naruto's constant bickering, for once they stood together against the Hokage._

"_He protected the village with everything he had and this is how you repay him?! You tell him that he can no longer protect the village? That he can no longer sit in its highest position just because he's sick? That would be like saying none of you could serve on the council because you are all old! He can't help it! Damn you!" Naruto was raving and ranting, looking at every single man in the room. His hands were clenched into fists and he turned to look at the floor. "Damn you all."_

_"Get out Naruto." His blue eyes turned and he stared at Tsunade._

_"And you just agreed with them?" His voice was naught but a whisper. "How could you?" She looked away from his gaze and then back again. _

_"Get out, both of you."_

_"Not until they give him his job back." Mishuku snapped, holding her arms._

_"It won't happen unless this disease just goes away and you need a miracle to do that."_

_"Chiyo-baa gave us a miracle, why can't any of you believe in another one?" There was silence for a time but Tsunade moved up and grabbed Naruto and Mishuku by their shirt. _

_"GET. OUT."_

_"Give him back his job." Mishuku's eyes were emotionless now, just pools of endless brown as she stared up at the blonde._

_"I can't do that. They have to." She set them down for a minute and dragged them to the side, away from prying ears. "If you have time to argue his case then you have time to help me figure out how to help him." She rubbed her forehead. "I can't very well help Gaara with you two acting like gallant idiots."_

_"What does that mean?" Naruto asked._

_"It means your...sort of a shinobi in shining armour without the brains to back it up." Mishuku snapped, sticking out her tongue._

_"HEY-"_

_"Shut up for a minute." Tsunade said, sending Mishuku a scathing look. The younger woman raised her eyebrows and smiled innocently. The Hokage started talking and they listened carefully. When she finished, Naruto asked her to explain everything one more time so he understood and then...then she kicked him in the ass and he went flying through the door. Mishuku hot on his heels._

XxX

Naruto looked at Gaara who had finished the ramen while he was thinking about the incident back at Baa-chan's office. "Want some more?" He was smiling to himself, having cheered up a little with remembering "the plan". Gaara looked to the empty ramen cup in his hands and then back to Naruto's smiling face. What was he so happy about? His green gaze fell back to the ramen cup and he handed it to Naruto.

"Yes."

"Coming right up!" Naruto paused in mid step and looked back to Gaara. "You don't have to stay here if you don't want too." He turned and walked off. Gaara stared after him and couldn't help but get the feeling that Naruto was planning something.

The redhead turned his gaze to Mishuku who walked in, smiling sadly at Naruto as the blonde walked past.

"So... you and Naruto, huh?"

"What? No!"

"But-."

"You're just making assumptions."

Standing, Gaara looked around the room and walked out. Day was turning into night and he wondered how long he'd been knocked out. As he stepped into what appeared to be the living room, Gaara noticed the smell was still there.

It appeared that the apartment, the whole apartment, had a musky smell. There was a lump of something against a wall and Gaara thought it might be a couch. There were too many holes to tell indefinitely but it had the frame of a couch. There was a crate across from it covered in ramen cups and Gaara had the impression it was supposed to be a table. Apart from a sheen of dust covering everything, there was nothing in the apartment. It was empty. Why? So many questions and no answers.

There was a curse and Gaara followed the sound to what looked to be the kitchen. Naruto was sitting on a counter, back facing the door way and reaching into a cupboard. It was too high up to reach it by standing on the floor so that explained why Naruto was sitting on the counter to get to it. Mishuku giggled as the blonde wobbled dangerously. Gaara leaned against the door frame and watched as Naruto strained to reach something in the back. It was slightly entertaining.

"Got it!" Naruto hopped off the counter and looked at what was in his hands. The blond looked to the door and smiled. "The only one left." He held up a cup of ramen that it read beef in big, bold letters. "I guess I'll have to go shopping again..." his voice fell away as he moved to heat the cup of ramen.

Gaara moved into the kitchen and watched him fix the cup of food. It was so simple that it seemed rather stupid. You just open heat up some water, pour it in and it was done. Was this all that Naruto lived on? There were enough empty ramen cups laying around to suggest it but...why? Another question to add to the growing mountain of them.

Standing up straight, Gaara moved to the fridge and opened it. He closed it immediately. Something green, blue and fuzzy said hello to him and the smell was rough even for his senses. Covering his nose, he opened the fridge again and looked around in it. Nothing but the green and blue fuzzy thing.

The water whistled and Gaara watched as Naruto poured it into the cup and handed it to Gaara. "It's hot, be careful." The red head took the cup and looked at it. Nothing green, blue and fuzzy. Gaara looked around for the cup he'd eaten a few minutes ago and pulled out the same chopsticks. He wondered if Naruto bought them or...no, he had to buy them. Shaking his head inwardly, Gaara began to demolish the second cup of ramen. He looked around for somewhere to throw it away but couldn't find anything so he just set the cup aside.

"Sorry the place isn't up to par." Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. Gaara had come to find out it was the gesture that signalled he was nervous. "I should go sho-" his sentence was stopped with a knock on the door. Smoothly and quickly, Naruto slipped a kunai from somewhere and walked to the door. His face was hard and nothing showed on it, no emotions. It was familiar to Gaara. He had the same face. "Who is it?" Mishuku asked quietly.

"Shikamaru." With a breath, Naruto opened the door and moved aside.

"What are you doing here, Shikamaru?"

"Hokage-sama wanted me to come and get you. Says you have a meeting and you're late."

"Oh...that. Heh..." Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Alright." He looked to Gaara. "I have to go but you two can't come so...stay here and don't go anywhere okay?" Gaara just nodded and watched as Naruto left with the lazy shinobi.

"How have you been then?" Mishuku asked, walking down the hall. Gaara followed and leaned on the doorframe, a small grin played on his face. Mishuku hooked her legs through a bar and hung upside down, occasionally tightening her stomach and touching her knees.

"Expect the fact that I'm dying? Hm... good. Suna's good too. Temari misses you." Mishuku had to grab the bar as her legs slipped. She did not look at Gaara just remained hanging by her feet and hands. "What about you?" He asked and she relaxed.

"Hokage-sama made me to test after test. Don't know why but she's taken more blood samples from my arm than I knew I had. It took forever too coz of the sand." Gaara chuckled.

"Headache?" Gaara nodded as Mishuku leaned over him. He closed his eyes as her gentle fingers moved over his scalp, easing the pain. She drew away but Gaara caught her thin wrist. "Don't..."

"Gaara... I have to train... sorry." She smiled before grabbing some clothes. Locking the bathroom door, Mishuku leaned against it and tried to still her throbbing heart. There was an odd sensation in her stomach she hadn't felt since... Naruto.

once the door was closed and he heard no footsteps, Gaara took one last look around the apartment before he himself left. There was so much work to do.

XxX

"Here."

"What's it for?"

"For taking care of Gaara."

"What do you mean?" Naruto stared at the envelope in his hand.

"I mean that Suna is paying us to keep Gaara here. That money, a portion of it anyways, is going to you to help take care of him. If he needs anything then you are to use that money to buy it."

"They really don't want him anymore do they?" Naruto asked the question more to himself than to Tsunade or any of the other occupants in the room.

"No Naruto, the council doesn't want him. I imagine the entirety of Suna will be up and raging by the time those old geezers get back and give the news." Tsunade had her chin against folded hands as she watched Naruto. She was more worried about the blonde. It was a low blow to him and Gaara both and even Sakura and Kakashi, but more so to the two boys.

"I understand." He stood and started for the door.

"I wasn't done Naruto." He groaned and stopped, shoulders slumping as he turned back to listen to her talk.

XxX

With the gates in sight, Gaara looked around him and took a breath. Slowly, he moved from the roof top he was on and towards the gates. He was stopped with a hand on his shoulder. "Where are you going Gaara-san?" The voice made Gaara turn around. He face a gray haired shinobi who's nose was buried deeply into an orange book. The book lowered just a little and one eye looked at him.

Gaara just shrugged the hand off and hopped down from the roof. When he was on the ground he started walking towards the exit. Kakashi was in front of him in seconds and Gaara had to stop walking or bump into the jounin. "I can't let you leave Gaara-san." The book was away and Kakashi, even though he looked relaxed, was on fully guard. The sand in the redhead gourd was hissing and moving around behind him and he shushed it with a thought.

"Move Kakashi."

"I can't do that Gaara." Kakashi took a step forward and the sand started to spill from Gaara's gourd. When it pooled around his feet, he looked down at it then up to the jounin. "I'd ask that you put that away Gaara." The red head just looked at Kakashi who had pulled up his hetai-ate. One red eye gleamed in the darkening sky and to keep from any confrontation, Gaara willed the sand back into the gourd, turned, and walked back towards the village main.

Kakashi was like a shadow, following him, although at a distance, wherever he went. The thought was disconcerting to a point but Gaara ignored him and went about some business. He decided if he would have to sleep at Naruto's apartment even for a night, before making his escape, some changes needed to be made. His first stop was to get some food. He found an all night market that thankfully had more than just food.

Before he thought of anything else, Gaara grabbed some fruit, vegetables, ramen cups, milk, juice and anything else he could think of that wasn't in Naruto's musty apartment. On a whim, Gaara also grabbed some cleaning supplies betting that Naruto had never even heard of them. He needed help carrying what he'd bought so he looked to Kakashi.

"What?" The jounin raised an eyebrow in his direction after asking the question. Gaara just looked at the bags. Frowning, or what looked to be a frown from under his mask, Kakashi put his book away, grabbed up some bags and followed behind Gaara. The sand shinobi was using sand to carry the brunt of what he'd bought and it was a little disconcerting to watch, the way the sand rolled over the ground carrying bags and following behind Gaara like a willing slave. Kakashi shook 

his head and continued to frown all the way back to Naruto's apartment.

When Kakashi left -in a huff no less- Gaara looked around the apartment and shook his head. The red head removed his shoes and gourd, setting them next to the door and started taking all of the food to the kitchen while leaving the cleaning supplies where they were. Before, however, anything went into the fridge, Gaara cleaned it out. Twice. After the kitchen was cleaned and the food put away, Gaara moved on to the living room and finally the bedroom and bathroom.

It was full dark and must have been early morning when he'd finally finished and he was covered in dirt and grime. He _felt_ dirty. Deciding a shower was in order, Gaara grabbed what he'd bought for himself and headed into the now, almost, sparkling bathroom. There wasn't any smell other than clean that came from any part of the apartment and he was slightly proud of himself. Stripping off his clothes and hopping into the shower, Gaara let the hot water pour over his body washing away dirt, sweat and grime. He would have been out quickly but the hot water felt good so he washed and stood under the hot spray a little longer than normal before getting out and towelling off.

Gaara had bought some mesh shirts, boxers and even some night clothes at the all night store but he just put on a deep maroon tee and some black pants under which he wore a new pair of green boxers. Why green? He didn't know. It was just a colour he liked.

The red head was just setting up a place for himself to sit in the living room when Naruto walked in through the door and shrugged out of his shoes and sickly orange jacket. He paused and peeked around the wall to look at Gaara. "What happened?" Gaara just quirked a browless eye brow.

Mishuku followed and stare around, dumbfounded. "It smells...clean...and looks clean." She stammered. Naruto did a walk through and noticed that his apartment _was_ clean. Even their dirty clothes were washed and hanging around the bedroom. He came back out and stared at Gaara who'd sat down and was eating an apple. Naruto collapsed to his butt and just watched Gaara peel the skin from the overly ripe fruit and eat it. "Why did you do it?" Gaara chewed the bit of fruit in his mouth and with a shrug that answered his question at the same time it didn't, he went back to eating the apple.

"How did you get that apple?" Naruto was scrutinizing the fruit closely, eyes squinted in concentration. He almost looked like the fruit would be...bad or something. It wasn't bad at all, in fact it was juicy and sweet.

"I bought it." Three simple words that had Naruto wide eyed and gaping at him. Why?

"Where?"

"The all night market." Gaara finished the apple, stood and went to the kitchen to throw it away.

"Hungry?" He looked back at Naruto who shook his head without thinking about it. The blonde stood and walked into the kitchen behind Gaara and watched as the red head pulled out a cup of pork ramen, put on the water and then handed it to him when it was done. "Mishuku?"

She shook her head simply. When both of Gaara's hands were free, the red head went to a drawer and pulled out a clean, new pair of chopsticks. Not disposable ones. They had the Naruto swirl on them but Naruto wasn't staring at the chopsticks, he was staring at Gaara.

"I- How- When-" Naruto was stumbling for words but Gaara pushed the cup of ramen towards him and the blonde looked down.

"Eat." Naruto just nodded dumbly and started to eat. He left the kitchen, mind in wonder and sat 

on his holey couch. It was comfortable when you didn't sit in one of the deeper holes so Naruto kept it. Besides, he couldn't afford a new one even if he wanted too. Shaking his head, Naruto slowed down his eating and thought over each bite. Why did Gaara clean the apartment? Naruto had thought for sure that he'd try to escape and go back to the Sand village but...he'd cleaned the apartment and gone shopping. It was confusing and Naruto's brain started to hurt from thinking so much. He was tired and the meeting with Tsunade had lasted so long. When he started nodding off she finally let him come home.

"Thanks Gaara-san... I'm going to take a shower." Mishuku said, standing up.

"Want some company?" the redhead clenched his fists.

"I swear to God, Naruto."

When he was finished with the cup of ramen, Naruto stood and set the empty carton on the crate table, stretched and headed off to his room. "Thanks Gaara-san. I'm going to bed. Goodnight." Gaara just stared at the empty carton. Naruto followed his gaze and had the graciousness to blush before he picked up the carton and ambled off to throw it away. Gaara nodded to him as he walked to the bedroom. A few minutes later, the red head heard the shower and he let out a small breath. Well, it had gone better than he thought it might. Naruto hadn't even complained, not really anyways.

With the questions he'd had from the previous day, the answers to why he was in Konoha and some other information rattling around in his head, Gaara opened the living room window and hopped up to the roof to stare at the stars. It was an old habit that hadn't died. Sometimes he even fell asleep on the roof he'd chosen to perch. It bothered him that he had to sleep like everyone else now and it bothered him even more when the need for sleep snuck up on him and caught him off his guard.

Knees drawn up to his chest and arms around them, Gaara looked up at the small sliver of the moon and then around it to the stars. He wanted to go back to Suna and he had to find a way to get out of Konoha. As if his thoughts had drawn him, Gaara felt a presence but didn't turn around. The chakra signature was already known to the sand shinobi but it annoyed him that Kakashi was still hanging around.

"Beautiful night, huh, Gaara?" Mishuku said, crouching down beside him.

"Hm." It was beautiful in its own way but it would never compare to nights in Suna. The moon illuminated the sands and the winds blew across the dunes making it seem like an ocean of blue fire at night. The sky was clear just like in Konoha but there were many more stars.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did." Gaara did look back at the girl then, the question plain in his eyes. Mishuku sighed and walked over, standing with one hand in his pants pocket as he looked over at the village. "The village sees him as an outcast, a monster. We know what that's like." She looked down at the red head and Gaara nodded once then turned his gaze back to the village.

"You did something for him when no one else would. Sure he has friends but he wouldn't like them for doing what you did. It's hard to argue with someone who doesn't argue back or even give a reason for why he does what he does." Mishuku patted his shoulder gently.

"Mishuku." Said a voice after a long pause. Both teens looked up at Kakashi. "Sakura wants to see you."

"More tests?"

"More tests."

"What for?"

"Nothing..."

"So I'm being tested for nothing?" Mishuku stood up and stretched her lean body. "How exciting. See you, Gaara."

The grey haired jounin turned to Gaara. "Don't try any more escape attempts. Tsunade- I mean, the Hokage has ANBU all over you and frankly, it would make my life unnecessarily difficult." He turned one hand in the air as he waved, "Later!" Then he and Mishuku took off into the night.

Gaara growled to himself before standing and walking off. He hopped off the roof and ran through the streets until he came to the Hokage's office. Without announcement, proper attire, his gourd and even escorts, he marched right into her office and made sure the door closed on his way in. She looked up from a cup of sake and glared daggers at him. "What are you thinking just barging right in here without announcement?!" She hiccupped and held a hand over her mouth. Gaara just looked at her, arms over his chest.

"Send me back to Suna."

"I can't do that Gaara."

"You are the Hokage."

"But I am not the Suna Council of Elders, Gaara. I can't do it."

"Hm?" Tsunade just glared at him and called for Shizune.

"Yes Tsunade-sama?"

"More sake."

"Tsunade-"

"Don't argue with me. More sake. NOW." Shizune looked at where she was staring and gulped. She left without being told again and came back with a rather large bottle of sake. Shizune left again and Gaara moved closer to the desk.

"Send me back." His voice was clipped and emotionless; just plain Gaara.

"If I could, I would have done it already. No offense Gaara, but I don't want you here as much as you don't want to be here. It makes my life and my job much more difficult especially since I have to make sure nothing happens to you." She didn't bother pouring the sake into a cup but rather drank it out of the bottle.

"Then why am I here?"

"So I can try and find a way to cure you." He leaned closer and she stood, also leaning towards him.

"Send. Me. Back."

"No." They were a hairs breath apart and he could smell the sharp, sour smell of the sake on her but he was more worried about getting her to send him back.

"I am asking for you to send me back."  


"And if you hurt any of my shinobi, Gaara, I will send you back in pieces!" She hissed at him and he growled back. There were sparks flying between them and the tension in the room spiked to unparalleled proportions. He suddenly wished for his gourd but it was back in Naruto's apartment.

"Call the ANBU off."

"I can't do that."

"If you won't send me back then fine but I will not be watched day and night like a dog. Call. Them. Off."

"I'll make a deal with you," she eased back, sitting in her chair, hands moved and crossed over her ample chest. "You don't try to escape again, hurt any of the villagers, shinobi or anyone under my protection and I will call off the ANBU."

"And?"

"I will start negotiations with your brother to get you sent back to Suna as soon as possible."

"But I have to grin and bear it?"

"And allow me to try and stop the process that is killing you slowly."

"Deal." He held out his hand and she knew that somehow she was making a deal with the devil. She held out her hand and they shook, the deal was sealed and there was nothing she could do about it now. As she watched Gaara leave, she called for the ANBU Capitan that was outside the window and told him to relieve those under his command from Gaara's watch duty. After the ANBU left, Tsunade picked up the sake bottle, looked at the four pictures above the door to her office and toasted to them.

"Here's to you," and she downed the whole bottle.

XxX

The trip back to Naruto's apartment was somehow longer than it had been after he'd gone shopping. The air was chilly and Gaara felt a shiver run down his spine. The redhead took to the roof tops and walked over them, watching as Konoha slept. He didn't want to stay here, in a place that treated those who would die for them like monsters. The thought burned in his mind and he knew that to survive around here, he would have to become an apathetic drone. It was the way his shinobi were when dealing with him. Well, they weren't his anymore and somehow, that thought hurt more than anything.

Why did Mishuku _want _to stay here? At least in Suna, she was treated civilly but here... she was treated no different from Naruto.

Gaara hopped through the window to Naruto's apartment and did a check to make sure it was only him, Naruto and Mishuku that were there and when he was satisfied, the redhead closed the window and moved to turn out the kitchen light.

The only source of light was the moon through the window and he sat in the midst of it, legs crossed, hands draped against his knees and he let out a long, heavy breath. Opening his eyes, Gaara found a spot on the wall across from him and focused on it, willing his body to relax, starting at his feet and working his way up. When he was lost in meditation, the spot disappeared and he was looking inside of himself.

XxX

Naruto woke with a yawn, scratching his chest and then his thigh, wincing when he ran his hand over the bruise on his ass. He looked around the room and didn't find Gaara so he wandered out in his stripped pyjamas and hat, his small stuffed animal in his hands and stopped in his tracks at the door.

There was Gaara, eyes open, sitting and staring at the wall. He walked over and waved a hand in front of the red head's face. When Gaara didn't acknowledge him or make any movement to suggest he was awake, Naruto bent down in front of his face and looked into his eyes. There were focused but it looked like they were dead...or at least not there. Empty. Slightly worried, Naruto moved his hand to touch Gaara and still got nothing. His hand moved to the red head's neck and when he felt a pulse, he relaxed a little.

"You'd think you'd be used it by now, huh, Naruto?" Mishuku said, walking out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her.

Naruto walked forwards and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close. Their noses brushed when they heard Gaara move. Naruto leapt back from Mishuku with a yelp and fell on his bruised ass. He hissed, winced and started rubbing it.

"Damn it Gaara! Why'd you have to go and do that?!" Gaara just raised a hairless eyebrow in question, his arms moving to cross over his chest in a Gaara-like pose. "Why'd you have to go and scare me like that?!" A small ghost of a smile appeared on Gaara's face but was gone quickly.

"I was simply meditating."

"Simply meditating..." Naruto stood up and scoffed. "I'll remember that when you're looking up at me almost lifeless again. 'I was simply meditating.' Phtt." Naruto headed back into his bedroom and came out a few minutes later dressed in a black shirt that had the Naruto swirl on it, offensive orange pants and some white socks. He had his arms crossed over his chest.

"What's for breakfast?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Well duh."

"Can you cook?" Naruto scratched the back of his head in thought for a minute.

"I know how to cook ramen." Gaara shook his head and stood. It was obvious he'd be doing the cooking. The red head moved to the kitchen and got out some eggs, milk, vegetables and pulled some rice out of the cupboard underneath the silverware drawer. As he started to mix and cook, Naruto just stood in the door to the kitchen watching. "Where did you learn to cook?" Mishuku asked.

Gaara stopped for a moment and sent a glare at him. Naruto just shrugged and watched as the red head went back to what he was doing. It was obvious he wasn't going to get an answer so he just went onto the next question.

"Where did you go last night?" There was that flippant shrug again, the one that answered his question at the same time it didn't. Naruto watched Gaara pull out some spices, open them and start using them. It was like Gaara was some big chef or something...he wondered who'd taught him how to cook and clean. "Why do you move around my apartment so comfortably? I mean, shouldn't I be the one taking care of you? Why did you clean my apartment? Why are you so...so...I don't know but you should be mad and you're not. You should be marching up to 

Tsunade baa-chan and ordering her to send you back home and you're just moving around my kitchen cooking...like you...live here or something."

Gaara stopped moving, stilled to the point that Naruto thought he might disappear if he looked away and Gaara turned to look at Naruto. There was something in his eyes but Naruto being himself couldn't place it, but it made a shiver go down his spine. Gaara turned back and before Naruto could start talking again, shoved a spoon of something into the blondes mouth. Naruto melted around the spoon and Gaara went back to cooking.

"You talk too much."

"Yea and you don't talk enough. Nor does Mishuku." Naruto looked at the spoon and licked it. "That was good what was it?"

"Go away."

"It's my apartment!"

"Would you like to cook then?" Gaara turned to him while mixing something in a bowl. Naruto took the hint and left the kitchen to sit in the living room. He sat on his couch and waited. And waited. And waited. He waited so long -only minutes in reality- that his stomach started making noise at the smell coming from the kitchen.

Mishuku giggled as she watched both fuming boys. Naruto folded his arms, unfolded them, propped up his feet before letting them drop again.

"Oh for goodness sake, sit still!" Mishuku giggled.

"Are you done yet?" Naruto seemed to start asking that question every twenty seconds and Gaara got fed up and tossed him an apple. Naruto looked at the fruit and his eyebrows drew together. How did he eat it? Thinking for a moment, he saw Gaara peel the skin and just bite into it so, deciding that was how he ate it, he went to get a knife and started to peel it. Gaara stopped him when he noticed Naruto carving the poor fruit to shreds.

Taking the knife, Gaara salvaged as much of the fruit as he could and handed it back to Naruto all peeled. "It doesn't look like your apple."

"Hm." Naruto looked at him and sighed. It was just like Sasuke, answering with a sound and not actual words.

"Just like Sauske-teme." Gaara winced when that name was mentioned. A burning sensation in his left shoulder started and he pushed the pain from his mind and watched as Naruto left the kitchen once again but this time munching on the sweet and juicy fruit in his hands.

They ate breakfast in relative silence, Naruto and Mishuku using chopsticks and Gaara using his fingers. The blonde had made it a point to tell Gaara that eating with his hands was disgusting but Gaara had let a part of him that he showed very few people out. He ate with his hands just like his siblings and most of the older people in Suna.

There was nothing wrong with it and they used chopsticks when they had to but it was just a...well it was just normal for them he supposed. He'd done it ever since his childhood and he hoped Naruto would be rather accepting. After telling him it was disgusting he hadn't said a word. Gaara thought that meant acceptance but when breakfast was over, the blonde made another point to ask him why he didn't use chopsticks like he had the night before. Gaara just gave him one of his shrugs and an unreadable stare before he went to wash the dishes.

"You don't have to do that you know." The red head looked over his shoulder and watched Naruto as the blonde walked over and rolled up his sleeves, hands delving into the hot dish water. "You cooked, I should wash the dishes." There was a small smile on his face that Gaara couldn't read. The red head nodded and pulled his hands out of the water, drying them on a small towel and moved away to watch Naruto from a distance. Well, Gaara was proved wrong. Naruto did know how to clean but it seemed from how dirty his apartment was he didn't much care for it. "Mishuku, help! Gaara was nice enough to cook breakfast so you could at least-."

"Sorry, Naruto, but I've got to go meet Sasuke." There was a crash from the kitchen and Naruto, with sopping wet hands, appeared in the doorway.

"What?"

"I've got to go meet Sasuke."

"Why?" Gaara asked calmly.

"Training,"

"Training my ass! Sasuke doesn't train with girls unless he wants to end up in their beds!"

"Jealous?" Mishuku giggled. Gaara clenched his fists. He had nothing against Sasuke but if he was only... using Mishuku.

"I am going to train. If Sasuke tries anything... I'll break his leg or something."

"If you don't, I will." Naruto muttered as Mishuku left.

When the dishes were done, Naruto and Gaara were sitting on the roof and looking out over the town. It was early afternoon or late morning depending on who you asked and Konoha was bustling with life. "So what do you want to do today? There isn't much to do in my apartment."

Gaara thought over the question and looked over to his friend. "What do you usually do?"

"Train." Naruto watched the town, his face shutting down slowly and Gaara put a smile on his face that felt fake but looked rather genuine.

"Let's train." Naruto looked over with an answering smile that was genuine and they got up to head back inside. Naruto let Gaara borrow some spare weapons and the red head noticed they were in wretched condition. They were sharpened but it was in a bad way. The metal of the shuriken and kunai were scratched, and some even had gouges in them. He would have to do something about them. Naruto tossed a few scrolls at him and quickly changed into some training clothes. Gaara turned around and also changed. He grabbed a mesh shirt and threw a black shirt over it and went to find his pants. He'd have to wash them after their training and he'd have to polish his armour. Looking for the plate that covered his chest Gaara accidentally bumped into Naruto who was watching him.

"What are you looking for?"

"Armour."

"It's on the dresser." Gaara looked and sure enough that's where it was. Did he leave it there? Shaking his head, the red head moved and strapped it into place and tied his gourd to his back. When he was ready, he looked back to Naruto and nodded. Together, they headed out to a training ground they both recognized. It was still in a state of mess. The trees had just started to sprout up but there was very little grass and it wasn't used anymore. It was perfect for the both of them.  


Naruto stood at one end of the demolished grounds and Gaara was on the other. The cork in his gourd came out and sand spilled out around his feet. Naruto pulled out a kunai for each hand and they stared at each other. A sense of familiarity filled the air and a true smile splayed on Gaara's lips while on of equal merit formed on Naruto's one question in both of their minds as they took their stances:

Who was better now?


	5. Cowardly Attack

Sorry this is so short. Third year n all. Sorry about the long wait as well but I kind of lost this folder and had to start again... my computer has it in for me.

Anyway, enjoy all the mistakes I made :D

XxX

Crouching on a rock that protruded from the swirling sand below him, Naruto rubbed his head, cursing his stupidity. His cerulean eyes looked down at the sand below him, the grains glittering in the weak sunlight.

He'd have to ask Gaara how he did that. Later. Right now however, he was trying to come up with a plan to get in close to the redhead without getting attacked by that ultimate defence.

Naruto figured out, too late, that Gaara was a long distance fighter and he himself, was more for close quarters combat.

His mind ached as it tried to think of a plan but it was hopeless. He kept replaying his last fight with Gaara. The only reason he had won was because he had used the fox inside him for help. But he couldn't do that because he could very well hurt Gaara now that the red head didn't have the demon raccoon inside of him.

Gaara may have been as strong as he was before but he did not have the uncharitable healing powers anymore, which was why the lack of sleep was finally catching up with him. He did look thinner, more pale.

The blond had to leap off of his rock because sand reared up in a spike form to attack him. He landed on another, smoother rock, scrabbling for a hold. He lay almost vertically against the rock, heart pounding.

Naruto knew he didn't have Rock Lee's speed so he'd have to force his brain to work and come up with a plan. He felt the sand grab hold of his ankle, lifting him high into the air.

"Gaara-san, I think this is a bad place to try and fight." He laughed at Gaara's look. The redhead opened his fist and Naruto fell, hard, onto the sand below. The blonde scrambled to his feet and began to run. Suddenly, he stopped.

His feet were half submerged in the glittering sand. "It's more suited to your fighting than to mine." He looked down to his sinking feet once again. Gaara halted the sand, sticking Naruto there.

"What do you suggest Naruto-san?" Gaara walked no- glided over on the sand to where Naruto was stuck. It was like he was flying but the small bits of sand carrying him almost destroyed the illusion.

"Well, we could train in tai jutsu or just find a place suited to both of our fighting needs." Naruto looked to his feet and whined a little. He was still sinking. Gaara stopped a grin from spreading across his features and he twirled his hand in a circle. Naruto was sucked deeper with a spin. "GAARA!" Naruto was flailing around trying to get out and Gaara made him sink to his knees. He looked ridiculous and Gaara couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up and out of his system. He ended up doubling over with it, pointing and laughing at Naruto.

"It's not funny! Gaara! Help me out!!" When it clicked that Gaara was actually laughing, Naruto stopped flailing around like an idiot and watched Gaara. He was bent in half, pointing at Naruto and laughing so hard it looked like his head was about to pop off like a balloon. Naruto folded his arms over his chest and glared. "Go ahead and laugh it up Gaara, I'll get you back for this, just you watch."

It was a full five minutes before Gaara could stop laughing and in that time, he'd let Naruto out of the sand that held him captive. Naruto looked at Gaara and smiled a little. "I've never seen you laugh before."

"Was it bad?" Gaara looked funny. His face was his usual mask of emotionlessness but his eyes said louder than any words that he was worried he had done something wrong or even bad.

"No! No, that's not what I'm saying!" Naruto was waving his hands in front of himself trying to get Gaara to see it was the wrong train of thought but in the end, he looked like an idiot...again.

"It's just...you don't laugh and I have only seen you angry twice. It's nice to see you laughing, enjoying yourself." Naruto sent a beaming smile Gaara's way and the red head actually felt heat rise up to his cheeks. He was blushing. They stood in silence, not meeting the others gaze. It was utterly uncomfortable.

Suddenly, the awkward silence between them was shattered by a high pitched scream.

XxX

As she walked along the dirt paths with Mishuku, Sakura could not help but see the dirty gazes that were being thrown at the thin girl next to her. The pinked haired kunoichi hooked her arm through Mishuku's and smiled brightly at her.

"How about I treat you to Ramen?" Mishuku shuddered.

"Naruto treats me to it all the time... I don't see how he can eat so much of it."

"Well... he's Naruto. He can do some... incredible things." Sakura said distantly.

"So... you and Gaara, huh?" Sakura said after a silent moment with a sly smile. Mishuku stopped, staring ahead, a faint breeze flowing through her hair.

"No..." She said quietly.

"Oh, come on! He clearly likes you!"

"No, he doesn't."

"How can you say that, Mishuku? I know you like him!"

"Drop it, Sakura!" Mishuku suddenly yelped as something caught her around the neck and she staggered forward. The sand flew to her defence but it fell away.

"Gotcha, sand chick." Ino giggled, pinching Mishuku's cheek. "Who does Mishuku like, billboard brow?" Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Good morning, Sakura-san, Mishuku-sama." Hinata said. Ino rolled her eyes.

"Yea, morning Hinata." Sakura said. Mishuku kept walking, pushing Ino away from her.

"Who does Mishuku like, billboard brow?"

"Gaara."

"Gaara-kun? Is he in... Konoha?" Hinata said timidly. Mishuku suddenly stopped while the others walked on, her heart thudding.

"Hinata! He's been in Konoha for a few days now!" The Hyuga princess blushed, playing with a strand of her long midnight blue hair. Sakura turned to look at Mishuku, the small smile slipping off her face to be replaced by concern.

"My, my, you have certainly grown." Said a long drawling bored voice that sent a shiver down Mishuku's spine. She looked at Ino, Hinata and Sakura who lay on the ground around her, quivering in pain.

Without turning around, Mishuku slipped on a pair of gloves and clenched her fists until the leather creaked.

"You're just like that cherry blossom chick. You know how I forget names..." Deidara said. Mishuku could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Why are you here?" She asked, finally turning around.

"We came for our princess." Kisame said. Mishuku turned to Itachi and glared into his blood red eyes. Her senses prickled and she turned around to see Sakura, Ino and Hinata staggering to their feet.

But, just as Sakura lifted her head, her clothes melted into a black cloak, the pink in her hair running like ink down and into large red clouds on the material. Itachi stood up right and glared at Mishuku.

An illusion?

Mishuku closed her eyes and pressed her hands together. Naruto had told her to escape the illusion; she had to cut off the chakra flowing to her brain. However, neither she nor he had ever been able to truly master it.

With the considerable amount of chakra flowing to their brains, it would take a lot of will to stop it. And both of them had been relying on their demons for such a long time...

Mishuku shook her head. What scared her most about this illusion was that she could feel pain and be attacked but her sand wouldn't be able to protect her.

And with Sakura and the others out cold, she'd had to do it alone. But if she didn't cut of the chakra now, she'd have to go back to being miserable with the Akatsuki.

Suddenly, in a blur of feathers, the three Itachi's that had been advancing towards her disappeared. She'd done it?

Suddenly, she screamed as sharp, searing pain stabbed her back and ripped through to her stomach. She looked down and saw the tip of a kunai producing from her toned stomach.

A hand clapped down on her shoulder, tightening around the pale flesh. The kunai was wrenched backwards and she felt Deidara's warm breath on her ear. Mishuku winced in pain, leaning back into Deidara.

He suddenly pushed her forward and she landed in the dirt, groaning. "Let's go." Itachi said. As he walked past, Deidara kicked Mishuku hard in the stomach. She curled up, tears of pain welling in her eyes.

Then silence. The crunching of running feet. Warm hands on her shoulders.

Mishuku opened her eyes. Naruto was cradling her in his arms, his eyes wide and shocked. She lifted one blood socked hand and touched his cheek. "Nar... uto..."

He grabbed her hand and held it tight. "You'll be ok. Gaara, wake Sakura. It's ok Mishuku."

Suddenly, the warm darkness engulfed her and her grip on Naruto's hand slacked.

XxX


	6. Not so Happy Birthday

Mishuku sat bolt upright in bed, a lock of thick hair hanging between her eyes. Something soft rolled from above her head and landed on her chest. Mishuku automatically reached for a kunai and stabbed the thing hard. Fluff poured into her hands. She rubbed her eyes and stared at it for a moment longer.

It was a stuffed teddy bear.

Someone sitting at her bedside moved suddenly. Mishuku whipped around, kneeling in the soft bed, kunai raised. She relaxed when she saw Shikamaru asleep in a soft armchair.

Where was she?

Mishuku looked around. She was in a very pink room, in a very pink, soft bed, surrounded by plump stuffed toys, most of which had eerie, glazed eyes. On the bedside table there was a medic's kit, more scary stuffed toys and a photo. Mishuku picked it up and stared down at three eleven year old genin.

Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura all grinned up at her. So, unless Sai or Sasuke had turned gay, she was in Sakura's room. She swung her legs out of bed and, after noticing that the bed was an awful long way from the floor, padding across to the bathroom.

She locked the door and removed her t-shirt. There were several layers of white bandages wrapped tightly around her stomach. Blood had begun to seep through the dressings.

Mishuku threw off the rest of her clothes and stepped into the shower. She sighed contently as the warm water washed down her aching body.

XxX

"Shikamaru!" Someone called. Shikamaru awoke with a start, grabbing a kunai and holding it in front of his face. There was a frantic banging on the door.

Without regarding the empty bed, Shikamaru walked over to the door and opened it.

He flinched.

Two very pissed off Kunoichis glared at him. "Um... hi." Shikamaru said.

"What took you so long?" Sakura barged past him into her flat.

"Hey, it's your house! You'd think that you of all people would have a key!"

"Where is she?" Sakura asked in a quiet voice.

"Who?" A vein pulsed in Sakura's forehead.

"Mishuku."

"What-?" Shikamaru stared at the empty bed. "Um..." Sakura marched over to the bed and swept back the covers as if Mishuku was hiding underneath them. The mattress was stained with dark red blood.

Ino ran over to the bathroom door and knocked.

There was no reply.

XxX

Mishuku stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her hair and, as she reached for one to put around her body, she caught sight of a bruise on her shoulder.

Turning to inspect it, she saw it was where Deidara had gripped her shoulder. Mishuku sighed heavily and rubbed her head. Everything ached. Her head, her stomach, her legs, her arms.

Suddenly, Mishuku slammed a bloodied hand to the tiled wall and slid down to her knees. She was pale, gaunt and cold. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her freezing shoulders.

Suddenly there was a knock on the bathroom door. Mishuku clutched her head, gritting her teeth. "Mishuku?" Came a muffle voice.

She staggered to her feet, panting, before grabbing the handle. Opening the door, she grinned broadly at Ino.

"You ok?" Ino asked.

"I'm fine... thanks for taking care of me." Mishuku began to close the door but Sakura threw her foot into it.

"May I check the wound?"

"It's fine, honestly."

"Can I just check it though?" Mishuku stared at her for a long moment before opening the door again.

Sakura walked inside and shut the door behind her. "Are you coming to that party tonight?" Sakura asked as she set about healed the wound.

"What party?"

"Sasuke's party."

"Oh that... I wasn't planning on going."

"Oh, go on, Mishuku! It'll be fun."

"I don't have anything to wear."

"I'll find you something. Come to my house as seven, ok?" She clapped her hands.

XxX

"Mishuku... are you not going to Sasuke's party?" Naruto asked, ripping off his tie for the third time.

"I am," Mishuku said, walking towards Naruto. She slapped his hands away and began to tie the thin red tie for him. He stood there, blushing slightly. "Sakura-san apparently wants to cake me in makeup."

"Did you just Sakura-san?

"I'll punch you." Mishuku said, not looking into Naruto's eyes.

"How are you feeling? You're stomach, I mean." He asked.

"Fine... you'd think an attack like that... How could to Akatsuki not have killed me?"

"You do have the Shakaku inside you." Gaara said. Mishuku lowered her head, her eyes hidden by her hair.

"Yea. It probably sped up the healing and all..." Naruto grabbed Mishuku's shoulders gently. "Come to the party. You'll have fun, I promise." Mishuku lifted her head and smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Naruto-san." She stood on her toes and kissed Naruto's scared cheek gently.

"Naruto... san?" He said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. Mishuku straightened his tuxedo coat and grinned at him.

"I'll meet you at the party, ok?"

"K..." Naruto walked out into the living room, clearly still puzzled. Mishuku spun on her heal and grinned at Gaara.

"Mishuku-san." He said, standing up. Mishuku grinned cheekily, clasping her hands together.

"Gaara-senpai." Gaara raised a hair-less eyebrow and then grinned at her. Suddenly, he closed the space between himself and Mishuku and stood there, looking down into her large eyes. He lowered his head towards hers, their lips inches apart.

"I missed you."

"Gaara...?" Mishuku whispered back.

"Gaara!" Naruto called from the living room.

Suddenly she flinched. She backed away from Gaara before racing past Naruto into the bathroom. "Mishuku, we're going. See you at the party."

XxX

At ten past seven, Sakura sat on her bed, legs crossed, taping the wooden bedside cabinet impatiently. She was wearing a red dress with the Haruno circle on the back. The dress was floor length but it split at Sakura's pale thigh. She wore a pair of black pumps on her feet and her short hair was tied up in a bun, with wooden sticks pushed through the shining locks.

There was a rather hesitant knock on the door. Muttering, Sakura opened the door to see Mishuku standing there. Her jaw dropped open when she saw the Sand Kunoichi.

Mishuku was wearing a tight black dress that was hooked over one shoulder. It was red at the side and it split at her pale thighs. She had red shoes and red arm warmers like the ones Sasuke and Ino wore. She had tied her long hair up in a pony tail and the curled it. She had outlined her brown eyes with heavy black kohl.

She grinned nervously at Sakura. "Mishuku! You look... so good! Gaara will be drooling all over you tonight!" Mishuku looked away.

"Shall we get going?" She said nervously.

XxX

Sakura and Mishuku emerged onto the dance floor. Sitting on the steps that led up stairs were the boys. Naruto sat with his shirt not tucked in, his tie messed up. Sitting beside him was Sai. Sai was sitting very politely, his suit buttoned up, his tie neat. Sasuke sat beside Naruto, his jacket open, his tie neat and Shikamaru sat beside Sai, looking almost as untidy as Naruto.

Standing at the top of the stairs was Gaara. He was wearing white suit pants with a black shirt. He looked messily elegant. He was talking to Matsuri, Tameri and Kankuro just behind him.

Shikamaru stood up, walked over to Mishuku and grinned sheepishly. He was holding two thin glasses in his hand. "Um... hi, Mish."

"Hi... Shikamaru."

"I'm sorry about... this morning." He said, handing Mishuku one of the glasses.

"Its fine," She said coldly, turning away. Shikamaru put out his hand as if to stroke her cheek but froze. He lifted his hand and patted the top of her head. Mishuku walked away, her curls bouncing behind her. Shikamaru nodded before looking at Sakura.

Gaara began to walk down the stairs but stopped. Naruto grabbed Mishuku's hand, put his hand on her waist and suddenly began to dance very fast. Mishuku stumbled after him. Gaara looked away with a sigh.

Everyone around them was dancing collected and elegantly but Mishuku couldn't figure out the dance.

"Naruto, I can't dance!" Mishuku cried. Suddenly, there was a loud bang. Everyone looked up and saw, through the glass roof, shimmering fireworks. Naruto looked up, his eyes wide and glassy. Mishuku stared at him until someone caught her eye. She grinned and then looked at Naruto.

"Good dance." She said hastily, before running over to Sasuke. Naruto watched her, his eyes narrowed. Mishuku hugged Sasuke.

"Happy Birthday," She breathed. Naruto sighed angrily and grabbed a glass before walking out onto the balcony.

Gaara walked Naruto stride angrily out onto the balcony. He sighed heavily when he heard a tinkle of glass moments later. He rolled his eyes and touched Matsuri's arm. She was talking to Tameri. She looked at him and nodded as he walked out onto the balcony. Gaara frowned at Naruto. He was standing with his mouth open, his hand still cupped around the glass that was not there.

"Naruto?" Gaara followed his gaze and gasped. Standing on a huge clay bird was Itachi, Kisame and Sasori.

"Gaara? Naruto?" Sasuke emerged onto the balcony and froze. "Itachi..."

"Brother." Itachi said with a shallow grin on his face.

"Why the hell are you here?" Sasuke asked, pushing Gaara and Naruto aside.

"I have not come for you, as you seem to think." They heard a scream from inside Naruto's ears pricked.

"Mishuku!" Naruto cried before turning on his heal and racing inside. Sasori threw out his hands and thin blue lines attached themselves to Naruto's body.

XxX

Mishuku skidded backwards away from Deidara, her teeth clenched. Her mouth was filled with the bitter-iron taste of her own blood. Her arm and her let were cut. Her hair flew behind her.

When she stood up, she felt arms wrapping around her stomach. As Deidara ran forwards, Mishuku leant back against Tobi, lifted her legs and kicked Deidara hard in the face. She landed and swept her arms out, causing Tobi to let go of her.

"Bitch!" Deidara cried. He wiped blood from his mouth and then opened his clenched fist. A small fluttering bird zoomed towards Mishuku. There was a loud resounding crash when suddenly, the entire building collapsed.

Sakura, who had gathered everyone outside, gasped. "Mishuku!" Gaara screamed. He darted from broken rubble to more rubble, calling her name. Suddenly, there was a crash.

Gaara looked up and saw a figure stand up from the smoke. He saw Mishuku's profile as the smoke began to clear. Her eyes were snapped shut and she was panting heavily. "Mishuku!" Gaara cried, scrambling over to her.

She whirled on him. Gaara gasped. The right side of Mishuku's face had been taken over by the Shakaku. Her eye was black, the pupil yellow and spinning. She turned on Gaara and snarled viscously. The look in the possessed eye was sadistic, willing him to fight, the other pleading him for help.

Suddenly, a blur of colour flashed past Gaara. Gaara turned to Kakashi who was running toward Mishuku and saw something in his palm.

His stomach dropped.

It was a slip of paper used to calm Naruto. It was able to sedate Naruto but it could easily kill Mishuku. "No! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto screamed. "That's too strong! It'll kill her!"

But Kakashi paid him no heed. He slammed his palm hard into Mishuku's forehead. The sand instantly retracted so Mishuku was left. She fell backwards instantly but Kakashi caught her lifted her into his arms where she hung limply and turned on Akatsuki.

They sighed heavily.

"The fun was just beginning..." Deidara said glumly. He and the other Akatsuki members leapt up onto the clay bird and shot into the distance, several ANBU already on their tail. Naruto leapt down from the roof of the Ramen house and ran over to Kakashi.

Naruto lifted Mishuku's head. "Is she going to be ok?" He asked. Kakashi sighed. He didn't want to do this but he had to.

"She will be." Kakashi turned and began to walk away with Mishuku in his arms.

"Kakashi. Don't do this." Naruto pleaded.

"Naruto, we've spoken about this. When things start to go wrong, we have to take Mishuku." Kakashi said solemnly, looking down at the small girl in his arms.

"Please, Kakashi. Give me another chance."

"You know I can't' do that."

"No! You're not taking her! I'm the only one who understands her, you take that away; she won't stand a chance!" Naruto cried. Kakashi stopped and closed his eyes.

Mishuku gasped suddenly. Kakashi stared at her pale face, her eyes still closed. She was obviously struggling to keep the Shakaku subdued. He placed her head in his shoulder, swept his arm under her legs and rubbed her back soothingly. Mishuku gripped Kakashi's sleeve and sighed with relief.

"You're making this harder than it needs to be." He said, turning his head slightly to Naruto.

"You don't know what you're doing! She _needs_ me!" Naruto screamed.

"Is this what she needs?!" Kakashi swept his arm at the smouldering building. "Naruto," He began to walk toward Naruto who was suddenly pale. "It seems clear to me that you need her a lot more than she needs you!" And with that, Kakashi disappeared into the crowd of ANUB that had just appeared.


	7. Bedridden

So I hope u guys enjoy the seventh bit!!

xXx

The next morning, as Gaara was fixing breakfast, there was a knock on the door with a call out of "DELIVERY!" Naruto mumbled incoherently and rolled out of bed. He grabbed a kunai and headed to the door, opening it slightly. When he affirmed that it was indeed a delivery, he stepped aside and let the one man and one woman come in with two medium sized boxes, make him sign a paper and leave. Naruto looked at Gaara and quirked a brow.

"What?!" Standing in the door way and stirring up some batter, Gaara watched as Naruto pulled out ninja issued sandals -his size-, mesh shirts, kunai, shuriken, scrolls and other ninja equipment. The blond just stared at them with disbelief and touched everything again to make sure it wasn't just some sort of joke. "What is all of this?"

"Weapons." Gaara said simply.

"I know that but...there must be a delivery screw up somewhere." Packing everything back in the boxes, Naruto slipped on his sandals and carried them out of the house and back towards the market. As the door closed, Gaara shrugged and turned back to his breakfast.

It was the day after Mishuku had been taken by Kakashi. Naruto seemed to be coping well but it was only the day after...

When Naruto got to the ninja equipment dealer he set the boxes down and sighed. "There's been a delivery mistake. I got these and they aren't mine." He turned around and started to walk away but the sales clerk stopped him, swallowing hard and pushed the boxes back towards Naruto.

"There was no mistake Uzumaki-san." Naruto stopped and turned to look at the old man. He swallowed and pushed the boxes further towards Naruto.

"What are you playing at?" Naruto's eyes narrowed and the sales clerk whimpered. A woman came from behind the curtain to the man's left and glared at Naruto.

"We are not playing at anything Uzumaki-san. There has been no mistake. Take what you were delivered." Her hands were on her hips and she was still glaring.

"There had to have been a mistake. I didn't order anything. I-"

"Just take the boxes, Naruto" Naruto jumped and turned to find Ten-ten smiling at him. "I know I would if I was given a bunch of weapons."

"But they aren't mine!" The woman from behind the counter came out from behind the counter and pushed the boxes into his arms.

"Take the boxes. Please..." With a slight smile, the woman nodded to Ten-ten -who happened to be one of their best customers- and went back behind a curtain.

Naruto looked at the boxes and then to the man who nodded, still looking kind of scared. Sighing, Naruto said thanks to the clerk and bye to Ten-ten before he headed home.

His mind was reeling by the time he got home, he set the boxes aside and slipped off his sandals.

"What happened?" Gaara handed him a plate of food and sat down in the living room, again eating with his fingers. Naruto took the plate and grabbed his chop sticks before sitting across from Gaara and eating.

"He said they were delivered to the right place." Gaara quirked a browless eyebrow as he continued to eat. "I don't understand it!" Naruto set his plate aside and rubbed his temples. "They villagers don't like me. I don't mind. They don't do anything special for me, in fact, they do everything to make me miserable but...this is so...wrong!" He fell backwards and stared at his ceiling. Gaara, not knowing what to say, continued to eat his breakfast and told Naruto to finish up his food. The blond just nodded, his eyes glazed over as he ate. He gave off the vibe of being lost in thought.

When breakfast was finished, Sakura came calling with orders that Gaara was to undergo a short exam.

"With you?" Naruto just stared at her. Sakura glared at him and sent something flying at his head.

"Of course with me, who else do you think, baka?!"

"Uh, Baa-chan?" Sakura ran over and punched Naruto in the back of the head. He doubled over hollering and Gaara could almost see the steam coming from the kunoichi's ears. It made him fight back a smile.

"She's got a hospital run today, Naruto, and she's busier than she has been lately so just shut up and deal with it." Shaking her head, Sakura picked up the pen she'd thrown and walked over to Gaara. "This way, Gaara-san." She led him to the room and gave him the exam. When she left, Gaara chuckled a little at Naruto who was still clutching his head.

"What's so funny?" Gaara shrugged and Naruto crossed his legs as he sat on the floor and looked out the window. "What do you want to do today?"

"What do you usually do?"

"Train." Gaara said blandly.

"Then let's train." Naruto's face lit up at the prospect and he stood and walked into the room to change and get his weapons. Gaara looked at the boxes and followed Naruto. "It would be a shame to leave such high quality weapons." Naruto looked at the boxes and sighed. He walked over and pulled out his new sandals -just for a test run he told himself- and some of the weapons -just to make sure they were high quality he told himself- and Gaara pulled out some weapons. When they were ready, both teens headed out to the training grounds and once again, the elegant dance of weapons, chakra and bodies began.

This time, Gaara did end up passing out and Naruto, in his worried rush, brought Gaara straight to the hospital. When the red head woke up, he was peering up into the Hokage's face.

"Good after noon." She placed a green gloved hand on his forehead and sighed. "What were you doing to get in this condition?"

"I told you Baa-chan! We were training and he just...collapsed!" Naruto was yelling at her and it made Gaara's head hurt. He unconsciously reached up and rubbed his temples trying to get the pounding to stop.

"Keep your voice down brat!" Tsunade hissed at Naruto who looked at Gaara and winced.

"Sorry." The blond told Gaara not to over exert himself during his sparring but, it was hard to tell how much was over because his chakra pathways deteriorated a hairs breath more every day. She also informed him that the disease wouldn't kill him for a couple of years but within the next few months, maybe five or six at the most, he would be bed ridden. Tsunade bent her head.

"I'm working as hard as I can to find a cure Gaara-san. I will find it." He nodded and she left, stopping at the door long enough to tell him that whenever he could get out of bed he could go back to Naruto's apartment. It didn't take long for Gaara to swing his legs over the edge of the bed and get up to go back.

"Don't scare me like that again!" Naruto clapped him on the back and Gaara just nodded. Months until he couldn't get out of bed...only a few years until the disease took him. It was a real shocker and even an eye opener. The red head and the blond both walked back to the apartment together, not talking but saying everything. What a day.

xXx

_Twelfth Oct. (Journal Entry Nine)  
The disease seems to be eating away at his chakra at a faster rate. The deterioration was twice what it was only days ago according to the Sand's information and with each loss of consciousness, the loss of chakra is taking it's toll on the brain and other vital organs. At the new calculated rate of deterioration, the loss of life could occur much sooner than planned and with the success of the transfer procedure still at only eighteen percent, the chances of living are slim to none._

It seems that when the chakra paths shrink, the loss of consciousness lasts longer if loss of consciousness even occurs. The heart is pumping more blood to the vital organs -more than even normal- when they are strained or over used. The liver processes have slowed as well as kidney, gull and intestinal processes. At this rate, contamination is possible and growing more so quickly. For his sake, I have to get the percentage higher and for his life. I have to succeed; The prices have never been higher.


	8. Shocking Kisses

Ok two things. This piece has yaoi in it and also, I don't know whether ninja's have mobiles but in my one they do xD

XxX

Mishuku stood in the hallway of Kakashi's home, the stairs next to her. Out of the back door she could see the snowy garden and the gloomy white sky. She was wearing a pyjama vest and baggy pants. Although she was wearing pyjamas, she wore her headband around her neck proudly. A Christmas tree stood in the corner next to Kakashi who was crouched and stoking the crackling fire.

It had be quite a few months since Mishuku had taken from Naruto. She was now living with Kakashi, the ANBU constantly swarming around her.

Soft, pure white flakes had begun to fall from the sky. It was Christmas Eve...

Mishuku had never celebrated Christmas before while she was with Akatsuki. She hadn't even known was Christmas was. On the day, nothing would be said expect Deidara sighing about what trouble today was. When they walked through a village Mishuku hadn't dared to ask what the trees covered in tinsel were for. Now, to actually know and be part of it... she shook her head. How people could be so cheery when it was so cold.

Kakashi sat back on his heels and turned slightly to looked at Mishuku. "I thought of having Gaara, Naruto and Sakura over for a small Christmas dinner tomorrow."

Mishuku, woken from her reverie, looked over at him. "Do whatever you want." He grabbed her coat, gloves and a scarf before shoving her feet into her sandals. She ran outside, her feet crunching in the snow.

Near Tsunade's office, Mishuku came to a suddenly halt. She held her hands out, staring at the snow that landed in them.

She remembered standing on the street in the middle of nowhere, watching the snow fall into her bloodied hands. She still did not know whose blood that was or why it was on her hands. But it was her first memory and so, had assumed, it was her parent's blood. She must have run away after she slaughtered them. Then, a warm hand had come to rest on her head.

The five-year-old Mishuku did not turn to look up Itachi but carried on staring into the distance. Itachi turned her and began to walk back over to the dismal looking house that sat decaying.

Her head ached suddenly. Mishuku, standing outside Tsunade's office, rubbed her eyes.

Through her closed eye lids, she saw a hand come up to the straw hat, push it up and the blood-red eyes of Itachi flickered open. Mishuku rubbed her face harder with both hands. She her forehead with her fist. "Stay outta my head..." she muttered. People stared at her as they walked past.

XxX

Mishuku stood in front of Naruto's door, her heart pounding. She lifted her fist to knock but the door suddenly opened. Mishuku stared wide eyed at Gaara who stood in the door way.

"I'm here to see Naruto." Gaara shifted uneasily and walked out into the hallway. "Close the door behind you." He snapped as he walked down the corridor. Mishuku watched him walk away before turning and walking into the house. She closed the door.

"Naruto?" She walked into the living room and jumped as Naruto leapt to his feet.

"Mishuku!" He pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. Naruto suddenly sat her down on the sofa and clutched her hands.

"You know I would never let anything harm you. Nothing and no one will harm you whilst you're in Konoha." Suddenly, he had become serious. His tone of voice lowered.

He was vowing to her and she knew it.

He leaned in closer-those intense eyes now staring at her lips which she wetted instinctively.

Wanting to show him she believed him and trusted him, she leaned in closer. He didn't pull away. As her lips met his, he closed his eyes. He allowed himself to be kissed by her for a few moments, before raising his hand up to her face.

His hand cradling the back of her neck and pulling her more into him. He took control of the kiss as he leaned more into her, a passion awakening in him he hadn't felt in so long. Her scent and touch over took his senses.

Mishuku clutched at Naruto's shirt and stared at the opposite wall. She had never kissed someone and felt so wanted. And she had never been so bold...

She felt like she was almost normal.

_Almost._

She closed her eyes to enjoy the warm of Naruto's hands and lips when she heard a sinister chuckle. Naruto seemed to have not heard it, carrying on undeterred. Mishuku clutched him tighter to her and opened her eyes.

She saw Itachi standing behind Naruto, grinning that arrogant smile. Then in a flash, he disappeared.

Naruto kissed deeper, harder-hungrier. It took him a few moments to realize she was no longer enjoying it. She had gone stiff.

He was hurting her.

He instantly let go. "I…I'm sorry." he said, backing away from her. "I don't know what came over me."

Mishuku felt a sudden pang of fear. She didn't want to lose him.

She clutched his shirt. "We could try again." Mishuku ventured a small smile, but he didn't return it.

"It's late." He said and pursed his lips. Mishuku's heart fell to her stomach. She had thought that he liked her. His kiss had held so much passion moments ago only now to be told to leave?

"I should go then." she said, though it sounded more like a question. He nodded. She then nodded as well and cleared her throat. Mustering the rest of her dignity, she stood and left the flat.

He watched her go- angry with himself at hurting her, not only with the kiss, but also by pushing her away.

XxX

Naruto sat face down on the sofa, every so often making soft moans. Gaara stood in the door way, a confused and slightly scared look on his face. The door bell rang and he ran over to it.

"Sakura! I need your help," Gaara said, eyes wide.

"Gaara-san, what's wrong?"

"Naruto." Gaara led Sakura into the living room. The moment she saw Naruto, she recoiled.

"What's up, Naruto? It's Christmas eve. You should ecstatic."

He lifted his head out of the sofa to look at her. "I pushed Mishuku away last night and I want her back!" He moaned. Sakura raised her eyebrows, looking at the damp sofa, where Naruto had been sobbing.

"Yuck..." Gaara muttered.

"What's with the waterworks? Are you a bit of a tiny tear really?" Sakura asked, sitting down beside him.

"No!" Naruto snapped, sitting up.

"Good coz Mishuku needs a laugh tonight, not a wet weekend."

"Oh, so you're the expert?" He snapped. Sakura raised her eyebrows at him.

"More than you think. Nah. You know she's never celebrated Christmas. I think you should give her a big romantic gesture. Not Christmas, but a quite dinner. It would be a shock to go from no Christmas to the dances Kakashi made us do."

"What, romance? I can do that. I'll take her for a meal." Gaara snorted.

"Well that's not predictable. No, those places will be full of drunken louts, trying to get her to dance to Christmas tunes. It should be just to two of you." Naruto sighed. "God I wish I had a man with your originality."

"You want originality? Fine... I'll take her back here." Sakura looked around the small flat. "Urm... Me and Gaara will clean it up and make it romantic. Eh Gaara?"

XxX

Mishuku herself sat with her knees up at her chest, her fingers tapping instantly on the sofa. Sakura had come earlier that day to dress Mishuku in skinny black jeans, a black jumper with a large white scarf hanging down around her knees.

"I can do this Sakura." She said suddenly.

"Oh? And why not?"

"I've never celebrated Christmas, I've never been on a date, I've never been to any sort of disco. I can't dance. I can't communicate. I can't kiss. I can't go to see Naruto tonight..."

"But, Mishuku-."

"I would love to. I really would but... I can't. I'm not ready for any of this yet." She picked up her phone and Sakura made no move to stop her.

XxX

The flat had been cleaned thoroughly. The sofa was draped in a soft red rug, the table was clear of ramen cups and covered in small red pots with candles burning away inside them. A bottle of wine sat on the table with two crystal glasses.

Naruto and Gaara sat on the sofa, admiring their work.

"Now that looks delightful." Gaara said flatly. "Mishuku certainly is a lucky girl." He said, sipping from his wine.

"Isn't she just? You gonna help me with this?" Naruto handed Gaara the wine bottle. When Gaara lifted his eyebrows, Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh, Gaara, live dangerously."

"You call that danger?" Gaara left the living room and returned a moment later with two more wine bottles and a glass for himself. Suddenly, Naruto phone bleeped. It picked it up and opened the text.

_I'm really sorry. I need to take a rain check. Speak later, x_

Naruto closed his phone and threw it onto the table. "What's wrong?" Gaara asked.

"She's not coming." He said, standing up and walking over to the kitchen door.

"Well, what did she say?"

"She didn't say anything."

"Right."

"I don't believe this." Gaara sat staring into the distance before standing up and grabbed two of the wine bottles. He handed one to Naruto. "Well, look on the bright side. We've got the flat, wine and me. So drink up."

Naruto sighed heavily. He sat with his head down, the wine held tightly in this hand. Gaara sat facing the back of the sofa, resting his hands on the edge, leaning back to look at the ceiling.

"It's called making an effort. It's not your fault she threw it back in your face..." Gaara turned his head to look at Naruto who was suddenly quite. Naruto grabbed Gaara's shirt and pulled him over.

Gaara stared wide eyed at Naruto when he suddenly pressed his lips to his. "Don't." Gaara said suddenly into Naruto's lips, though he pulled him closed.

"Don't what?"

"I don't need this."

"Shut up." Naruto pulled Gaara closer and crushed his lips to the redhead's.

Gaara pushed Naruto down onto the sofa and ripped open his shirt.


	9. The Eve of Something Dark

Mishuku stood in the hallway of Kakashi's home, the stairs next to her. Out of the back door she could see the snowy garden and the gloomy white sky. She was wearing a pyjama vest and baggy pants. Although she was wearing pyjamas, she wore her headband around her neck proudly. A Christmas tree stood in the corner next to Kakashi who was crouched and stoking the crackling fire.

It had be quite a few months since Mishuku had taken from Naruto. She was now living with Kakashi, the ANBU constantly swarming around her.

Soft, pure white flakes had begun to fall from the sky. It was Christmas Eve...

Mishuku had never celebrated Christmas before while she was with Akatsuki. She hadn't even known was Christmas was. On the day, nothing would be said expect Deidara sighing about what trouble today was. When they walked through a village Mishuku hadn't dared to ask what the trees covered in tinsel were for. Now, to actually know and be part of it... she shook her head. How people could be so cheery when it was so cold.

Kakashi sat back on his heels and turned slightly to looked at Mishuku. "I thought of having Gaara, Naruto and Sakura over for a small Christmas dinner tomorrow."

Mishuku, woken from her reverie, looked over at him. "Do whatever you want." She grabbed her coat, gloves and a scarf before shoving her feet into her sandals. She ran outside, her feet crunching in the snow.

Near Tsunade's office, Mishuku came to a suddenly halt. She held her hands out, staring at the snow that landed in them.

She remembered standing on the street in the middle of nowhere, watching the snow fall into her bloodied hands. She still did not know whose blood that was or why it was on her hands. But it was her first memory and so, had assumed, it was her parent's blood. She must have run away after she slaughtered them. She had been studying the blood and snow when a hand fell on her shoulder.

She had not turned to look at Itachi, but instead she had stared at the blood. Itachi turned her and began to walk back over to the dismal looking house that sat decaying.

Her head ached suddenly. Mishuku, standing outside Tsunade's office, rubbed her eyes.

Through her closed eye lids, she saw a hand come up to the straw hat, push it up and the blood-red eyes of Itachi flickered open. Mishuku rubbed her face harder with both hands. She hit her forehead with her fist. "Stay outta my head..." she muttered. People stared at her as they walked past.


	10. Of Her Own Free Will

This is a small song fiction. It is Somebody help me by Full Blown Rose.

XxX

Christmas day. Mishuku shuddered at the prospect of what awaited that day... she didn't even know why it was celebrated.

_Can somebody help me?_

She sat on her bed, legs crossed, eyes shut. She was shaking slightly.

_Being haunted by a whisper_

Mishuku rubbed her forehead. It was like Itachi was tormenting her from inside her own head.

_A chill comes over me  
I've been trapped inside this moment,_

Mishuku twitched as a cold shiver ran down her spine. The idea of Itachi actually inside her mind... she grabbed a kunai.

_I'm not a victim, not a freak._

She certainly wasn't the victim. The killer can never be a victim...

_Free me before I slip away  
Heal me, wake me from this day_

"Stay outta my head..." Mishuku hissed, jabbing her forehead gently with the sharp tip of the kunai.

_Can somebody help me?_

Mishuku felt a nagging pain in her heart. She wanted to be normal... like Sakura. __

Seen the face of my affliction  
of my _reality_

Those blood red eyes of the Sharingan. Mishuku gripped the bed sheet. The shaking grew a little worse.

_I'm being tortured by the future  
of things that yet to be_

Thinking about her future... what was there for her? Tormented for the rest of her life by Itachi...

_I'm being haunted by a vision,  
It's like the moment never comes._

Again those eyes but... the attack, the inevitable attack never seemed to come.

_I feel the burning of confusion  
Always searching, on the run_

She was always running to get away from those years of suppression...

_Free me before I slip away  
Heal me, wake me from this day  
Can somebody help me?  
Somebody help me_

Mishuku felt like she was losing herself in her own mind. Lost in her own sanity.

_Now I'm not a hero, no_

She would never be able to save Naruto or Gaara...

_With the weight of the world on my soul  
These images burn in my eyes  
They're burning me up inside_

Those blood red eyes clawing at her from the inside...

_Free me before I slip away  
Heal me, wake me from this day  
Can somebody help me?_

She didn't know who to tell or who to talk to...

_Free me before I slip away  
Heal me, wake me from this day  
Can somebody help me?  
Somebody help me_

The door opened. Kakashi put his head round and Mishuku could tell that he was grinning by his creased eyes. "Everyone's here. You coming down for dinner?"

_Somebody help me_

XxX

The day passed in a haze of confusion for Mishuku. A huge meal , presents, thin paper crows and alcohol... lots of alcohol.

The others, Gaara, Naturo, Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi laughed raucously together. The day seemed incredibly joyous. But the joy didn't touch Mishuku. She sat in the back as the others took photos, poured themselves more alcohol and laughed over fond memories.

Something seemed to have passed between Gaara and Naruto. They sent each other fond gazes occasionally or touched the others hand. Tiny things the others didn't notice. Mishuku watched as Naruto burst into laughter and patted Gaara's thigh.

She stood up very suddenly and left the house, not bothering to see if the others had noticed or not. She marched down the street, her hair blowing in the wind. The cool air nipped at her face.

She marched to the gates and straight out.

XxX

"She's gone?" Naruto said blankly. Tsunade nodded grimly.

"But all that ANBU protection? The people who were supposed to be protecting our village but weren't because of her?" Sasuke spat angrily.

"It was Christmas day. I was hoping she could make it through one day." Naturo rubbed his face. Gaara patted his shoulder.

"They are the elite of the elite and they let her slip through their fingers?" Naruto said in disbelief. "She would have been safer with me!" He shot Kakashi an angry look. "I'd never let that Akatsuki scum touch her!"

"First of all, you all let her walk out. And secondly, Naruto, she wasn't kidnapped but the Akatsuki." Tsunade said calmly.

They all gasped.

"What? You're saying that she just _strolled _out with them?" Naruto snapped. Tsunade rubbed her face.

"Akatsuki seemingly have nothing to do with her. She could be alone right now or with them. But they didn't take her. She just... left."

"What? No... She wouldn't... what?" Naruto stammered. Sakura patted his shoulder but she shrugged her off and stormed out of the room.


End file.
